


Goodbye is only the beginning

by Madisuzy



Series: crossover series [2]
Category: Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII
Genre: Abuse, Crossover, Dubious Consent, Fluff, M/M, Sex, Violence, like really dubious
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2009-11-10
Updated: 2009-11-10
Packaged: 2018-05-19 07:50:50
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 28,626
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5959425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madisuzy/pseuds/Madisuzy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sequel to Corpse in the Cupboard. Laguna, Kiros and Vincent are back. Squall finds someone new to annoy when Cloud is discovered in Winhill.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is on hiatus. I don't know if I'll ever complete it... I did plan to, but it's been so very long now. Transferred over to AO3 as I'm purging my fanfictiondotcom account because my stories from there keep ending up on other sites without my permission, and I didn't want to delete them from the internet completely.

Laguna had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing at Vincent's childish pout. The expression looked so out of place on the gunman. Completely adorable, but clearly out of place.

Kiros, forever the peacemaker, was talking to him quietly in an attempt to convince him to see Laguna's point. The President had given up himself. He'd tried everything from logical argument to seduction in the last two weeks but all had failed. They only had twelve hours until they were supposed to leave for Winhill, so in desperation he'd turned to Kiros. His assistant had a knack with getting through to Vincent's stubborn side that Laguna could never replicate. The gunman just had too much power over his heart.

**.**

He was aware of the fact that he was being selfish and childish but he couldn't help it. There was no way that he could possibly spend a week in a cabin with Squall Lionheart, even if Laguna and Kiros would be there with him.

It wasn't that he didn't want to go to Winhill. He'd love nothing more than to spend the time with his two lovers, learning all about Laguna's past. At first he'd been touched that the President wanted to include him in the yearly trip to honour the memory of Raine. Then he'd found out Squall would be joining them and it had changed everything. He knew the young commander had a right to be there. Raine had been his mother after all. Vincent just didn't want to be in such close proximity to his lover's son.

Laguna may have forgiven the boy, insisting that Squall was sorry for what he'd done and that he understood Squall's reasoning, however misguided and twisted it had been but no matter how hard Vincent tried, he could not find that forgiveness within himself.

"Vincent, I'm not asking you to like Squall or forgive him. Laguna and I both understand why you can't. We're just asking you to tolerate him for one week," Kiros pleaded, looking at Vincent desperately. "It would mean the world to Laguna if you came along."

"I don't think I can do that, Kiros. The boy hates me. He feels regret only for what he did to his father, not for what he did to me," Vincent answered, gazing back stubbornly.

"Vin, the boy's so messed up it's amazing that he's sorry for hurting Laguna," Kiros muttered. "Look, you don't have to talk to him. Just say you'll come with us. I'll be there to help out and I'll even drag Squall away to give you and Laguna some alone time. Both of you could do with a holiday. Come on, could you do this for us, just this once?"

"I would of preferred time alone with Laguna and you," Vincent growled. Kiros smiled broadly at the gunman, a slight redness colouring his cheeks.

"I'm sure we can arrange that too," he responded softly. "Please, Vincent? Say you'll come with us?" The gunman looked into Kiros' brown eyes and sighed deeply, hanging his head in defeat.

"I'm going to regret this," he mumbled.

**.**

Kiros put the last of his luggage next to the door, smiling and excited. Tomorrow morning they'd be on their way to Winhill and he couldn't wait. A whole week away from Esthar with Vincent and Laguna was just what he needed. Even the fact that Squall would be there didn't dampen his mood.

He was headed for bed when a knock on the door turned him back. Opening the door, he was surprised to find Vincent standing there, peering at him darkly.

"You owe me," the gunman growled. Kiros stared at him, a little startled. Despite the fact he trusted Vincent, the gunman's moods could be unpredictable. He backed away as Vincent entered, flinging the door closed behind him. The gunman continued to advance on him, his eyes burning.

"Vincent, what…..what are you talking about?" he spluttered, putting up his hands defensively. "And where is Laguna?" he added nervously, hoping to distract him.

"Laguna is in bed. He told me to tell you that he will see you in the morning," Vincent murmured. A feral grin spread across his face and Kiros shivered. "You owe me because I have to go on this trip." Before Kiros could respond, Vincent grabbed him and began devouring his lips. Kiros squawked and flailed like a startled chocobo, trying to dislodge the gunman. Vincent pulled back from the kiss but didn't release him.

"Is there a problem?" he purred. Kiros gaped at him, trying to get his brain to work.

"Does Laguna know why you're here?"

"Of course," Vincent answered as he leaned forward to nip and kiss his throat. "He wasn't in the mood. I was hoping you would be." Kiros felt one of Vincent's hands move down to grab his backside, pushing their hips together as the gunman lightly bit his ear. How anyone could ever not be in the mood for Vincent was beyond him.

**.**

Kiros' unending loyalty to the President only made the gunman want him more. He felt his own erection rubbing against Kiros' swollen length through their clothes and heard the whimper that escaped Kiros' lips. He took both as a sign of acquiescence. Vincent quickly undid his pants with one hand, letting them fall down and be kicked off his feet.

As he continued to kiss and lightly bite Kiros' neck, the need to take him aggressively grew and Vincent decided to take a chance. He pushed the smaller man backwards until they hit the wall and bit down hard on his neck. Kiros moaned and arched into him, one hand on his shoulder while the other hand grabbed a fist full of Vincent's hair and pulled it. Chaos flared hungrily inside of the gunman's head, loving the more violent foreplay and Vincent began to lose control.

His clawed hand tore away Kiros' pants before his normal arm swept under the smaller man's butt and lifted him. Kiros responded by tightening his grip in Vincent's hair and bringing their lips together, biting the gunman's lower lip before thrusting his tongue into his mouth. The low growl that erupted from Vincent's throat was half him and half Chaos. Never before had the demon been so close to the surface but not broken through.

Warning bells were ringing in Vincent's mind but his passion drowned them out as Kiros tightened his legs around the gunman's waist. Vincent's claw hit the wall beside the smaller man's head, digging into the plaster and leaving deep grooves as it dragged down the wall. Vincent was thrusting against Kiros, pushing their erections together as he returned the hungry kiss.

Kiros was whimpering and the sound made Vincent remember the other man's birthday, just weeks before. A vision of Kiros, tied up and thrusting back onto his cock, flashed through his mind and Chaos began to roar. The demon was trying to force Vincent to take Kiros, dry and unprepared but the gunman refused to allow it. Vincent's thoughts began to blur as Chaos began wrestling for control and the gunman realized he had to end this quickly or risk his lover's safety.

He quickly swapped hands, using his clawed arm to hold Kiros up while his normal hand wrapped around both of their erections and began pumping, hard and fast. Kiros released Vincent's lips, throwing his head back and moaning the gunman's name with his release. Vincent followed him over the edge just seconds later before falling to his knees.

**.**

Kiros' senses kicked in slowly, returning one by one as his orgasm ebbed away. Vincent was on his knees with his eyes closed and Kiros was on his lap, his legs still wrapped around the gunman's waist. Kiros began to get up but Vincent embraced him and rested his head on his shoulder.

"Please. Can we stay like this, just for a moment longer?" Vincent whispered.

"If that's what you want. Thought I might be getting heavy," Kiros replied softly. Vincent just hummed and gripped him tighter. Kiros relaxed into him, caressing the gunman's back with his hands. He felt hair tickle his fingers and it reminded him that he'd yanked hard on Vincent's hair in the throws of passion. He blushed in embarrassment when he realized he'd also bitten the gunman's lip.

"Vincent, did I hurt you?" he asked nervously. The gunman lifted his head and looked at him, one eyebrow lifted in question. Kiros winched as he saw the tear on Vincent's lip.

"Fuck, I'm sorry," he blurted out, reaching out to gently touch the damage. In response, Vincent smiled broadly at him and Kiros stared back, confused.

"Don't be sorry, Kiros. I love it when you lose control," Vincent replied, bending forward to rub their noses together affectionately. Kiros couldn't help but chuckle at the gunman's polarities.


	2. Chapter 2

"We're leaving first thing in the morning. You are still coming this year, aren't you, Squall?" Laguna asked, lying in bed and staring at the ceiling. He'd taken the opportunity to call his son while Vincent was busy with Kiros.

"Yeah, I am. I'll be a day late though. Something came up at work that I have to handle first. Dad, who else is coming to Winhill?" Laguna flinched at the question, despite knowing it would be asked.

"Kiros and Vincent will be coming with me," he answered cheerily, glad that his son couldn't see him through the phone, chewing on his lip. The silence grew uncomfortably and Laguna began to worry that Squall was going to pull out of their annual holiday.

"Whatever. Well, I better get back to work. I'll see you there." The phone went dead and Laguna released the breath he'd been holding in. At least that was one more hurdle cleared. Now they just had to survive the next week without any fatalities.

**.**

Kiros awoke early the next morning to find himself on his side with an arm wrapped around his waist and a prominent erection being pushed into his butt.

"Morning, Vin," he mumbled.

"Good morning," Vincent purred, biting and kissing his neck. Kiros whimpered and pushed back against the gunman sleepily.

"Shouldn't you…be getting back…to Laguna?" Kiros stuttered out.

"He is aware of where I am, should he need me," Vincent answered, moving his arm down to grasp Kiros' cock and stroke it into hardness, flicking over the tip with a fingernail teasingly. Kiros was trying to get his mind to focus and argue with the gunman's logic when he was flipped onto his back with his arms pinned above his head.

Vincent kissed him gently, lightly brushing their lips together in a sharp contrast to his usual roughness. The gunman was a walking contradiction of gentle touches and intense sexual aggression. Kiros never knew what would happen next and it made his blood burn.

He ran his tongue over the gunman's lips, begging for entrance boldly as he bent his knees and used the leverage to thrust up into Vincent's stomach. The gunman growled in response and opened his mouth to him and Kiros thrust his tongue inside. Their tongues danced together, each one vying for dominance over the kiss as their bodies grinded together.

Vincent eventually won the battle, claiming the smaller man's mouth with a growl of victory. Kiros conceded by whimpering in return, simply too turned on to argue any more. The gunman still held his wrists firmly with his clawed hand while his other hand rifled through the bedside drawer.

Kiros heard a click and then felt a moist finger slide down between his cheeks to circle his entrance. In the back of his mind Kiros was impressed with Vincent's one handed dexterity but the thought was extinguished when the finger entered him. He moaned around the gunman's tongue and pushed his hips up wantonly. A second finger joined the first, scissoring and stretching before thrusting in and out, nudging his pleasure spot and sending jolts up his spine.

He couldn't draw enough breath through his nose and Vincent was still plundering his mouth, unaware of his need for air. In desperation, he bit down on the gunman's tongue and Vincent finally pulled back. Kiros gasped in air and stared into red eyes tinged with a yellow glow. He got a sudden flashback to the day on the hospital rooftop when he'd come face to face with Chaos and seen the demon's yellow eyes.

"Vincent?" he whispered, unable to keep the fear out of his voice. A decidedly sinister smile spread across Vincent's face and Kiros swallowed nervously.

"Do not fear me, little one. Your pleasure is my only aim," the gunman purred, resuming the movement of his fingers. Kiros was momentarily disturbed by the difference in Vincent's voice, but his fears where washed away in a flood of desire. The gunman was hitting the spot inside of him with every thrust of his fingers and was sucking and biting his throat. Kiros' body relaxed and he lifted his legs, wrapping them around Vincent's waist and pushing his aching member against the body hovering over him. It felt so good but it wasn't enough.

"Please…I need to feel you inside," Kiros whispered hoarsely. A deep chuckle tickled his neck.

"Your wish is my command." Vincent's fingers withdrew and Kiros felt the hot tip of the gunman's cock nudge his entrance. He closed his eyes as it entered him slowly, feeling it throb inside deliciously. When Vincent was fully sheathed inside of him, Kiros didn't wait. He began thrusting up and down awkwardly, trying to pull his wrists free. The gunman's grip only tightened and Kiros' whimpered in frustration.

His frustration fled when Vincent began to push in and out of him roughly, setting an incredibly fast pace. Kiros could only moan loudly as he was fucked hard, the bed crashing into the wall with every thrust. It only took about a minute for his orgasm to explode through his body. He was still riding the intense wave of it when Vincent followed him over the edge.

**.**

Vincent was frightened. It was a foreign feeling, one he hadn't experienced in as long as he could remember. Chaos had taken control over his body during sex and he'd been pushed to the back to watch helplessly. Usually, he could feel the demon attempting to take control and could either contain him or end things quickly, as he had last night. It had never happened without any warning before and he'd been completely unprepared.

Luckily, Kiros hadn't been harmed. He'd been a little sore afterwards but a potion had quickly healed any discomfort. Vincent was about to discuss with him what had happened when Laguna had knocked on the door and hurried them off to the Ragnorak. The President was so happy and excited, that Vincent had decided to leave his own problems unspoken for now. This holiday was about Laguna and Raine, not Vincent and his curse.

The gunman had spent the whole trip to Winhill listening to Laguna reminisce about his past and he'd been thankful for the distraction. Now that they'd arrived Kiros had gone to organize the delivery of their luggage to the cabin on the outskirts of the town and Laguna had fallen silent. They were sitting on the lush green grass, looking out over the rolling hills spotted with flowers, waiting for Kiros to return so they could visit Raine's grave. The beautiful scenery and cool breeze should have lifted Vincent's spirits but it couldn't ease the fear growing in his chest.

**.**

Kiros returned to find Laguna and Vincent sitting silently and staring off into the distance. They both looked miserable and it pained him to see them both so distressed. He knew why Laguna was hurting. Every year the President reacted the same way until he'd visited Raine. Afterwards, he would perk up and his usual brightness would return.

He was worried about Vincent though. He had an idea what was bothering the gunman but understood that now wasn't the time to discuss it. Putting the topic on the backburner, he mustered up a smile.

"Ready when you are," Kiros announced. Two faces turned towards him and both tried to smile in response. Laguna managed a little grin but Vincent failed dismally, his smile looking more like a grimace. They stood and all three headed out across the fields without a word.

**.**

Chaos had reacted instantly to Kiros' return by flashing up images of Kiros, naked and in various positions on the windswept hills. Vincent hoped Kiros hadn't seen him flinch when he'd attempted to smile. The demon couldn't care less how disrespectful of Raine his behaviour was, only having one thing on his inhuman mind. Vincent refused to pay him any attention, falling back as Laguna walked on ahead. Kiros fell into step beside him, glancing at him curiously.

"Vincent? Everything okay?" Kiros leaned in to whisper. Chaos increased the ludeness of the slideshow playing in his head and he growled in annoyance. Kiros' smile disappeared and Vincent instantly regretted making the sound.

"My apologies. That growl was not directed at you. Chaos is being difficult," the gunman answered quickly. Kiros' smile returned and he reached out to squeeze Vincent's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. Anything I can do to help?" The question set Chaos into an even worse display of filthy images in the gunman's head. Vincent stumbled on a passing clump of grass and swore quietly as he stopped to regain his composure. The demon was enjoying his distress far too much.

"Unfortunately, no. I would ask a question though. Does Laguna always become this quiet?" the gunman asked, trying to block the demon out.

"Yeah, he does. Don't let it worry you. Once he's visited her grave and talked to her, he'll be back to his old self again." They began walking again and as they crested the next hill, they saw Laguna, kneeling down and studying a stone plaque on the next rise. It made Vincent think of Lucrecia and the fact he would never be able to visit her mako entombed form, ever again. He thought this should have made him sad but instead it just filled him with an odd kind of numbness.

Chaos didn't appreciate him thinking of Lucrecia and responded by giving Vincent a clear image of Kiros, on his knees and sucking him off. Vincent sighed and rubbed his eyes. The demon was giving him a headache and a hard on simultaneously. It was not a pleasant sensation.


	3. Chapter 3

_Cloud knew something was going to happen. He had that feeling of dread that had proceeded every one of his battles with Sephiroth. The numbing terror of approaching doom._

_He made his way to the WRO headquarters on automatic. Sat through the briefing of their latest mission in silence. Told no one of his concerns._

_Unfortunately Vincent sensed his disquiet. The gunman stopped him in the hall and asked if there was a problem. Cloud refused to meet his eyes and shrugged it off. Walked away, leaving the gunman to stare after him._

_Vincent always noticed, just as his son always had. Maybe the ability to see through Cloud's walls was genetic. Inherited through the blood that Vincent and Sephiroth shared. All three of them had shared the same path of pain. Like some kind of 'secret society' of the broken that no one wanted to be a member of._

_As Cloud stood outside, waiting for the teams to assemble, he allowed his mind to wander back to happier times. Memories of Sephiroth's arms around him, his beautiful smile, the taste of his kiss and the feel of their two bodies becoming one filled his mind._

_He'd let no other person touch him in that way since. Refused to taint the memories with a replacement despite the fact those memories had already been torn apart by Jenova's poison. All he had left of Sephiroth were snippets of love and hate, bits and pieces that didn't match. He tried to forget the nightmare and clung to the dream._

_A hand on his shoulder jolted him out of his reminiscing and he turned to find Vincent's ruby eyes considering him._

_"It's time, Cloud," the gunman said softly. Cloud looked around and noticed that the others had arrived and were starting to board the transports. He nodded at Vincent and joined them._

_**.**_

_The underground facility was huge, a maze of hallways and rooms that sunk deep down into the earth. It had been decided that everyone would spilt up into teams of two so they could cover as much ground as possible. Vincent and Cloud had paired off and headed for the lowest four levels, leaving the higher levels for the WRO soldiers. From previous experience, they predicted that the most dangerous creatures would be in the deepest areas._

_They had little trouble clearing the first three levels. The place seemed to be free of the usual failed experiments that dwelled in these abandoned laboratories. They only encountered a few mid level fiends and disposed of them easily. As they entered the final level, Cloud's sense of forboding increased dramatically._

_Every room they found was lined with Mako tanks, glowing green in the darkness. None held any creatures but the sheer number of them was disturbing. Cloud just wanted to get out of there. Memories of his own time trapped in Hojo's lab where filling his mind and it was all becoming too much. He glanced over at Vincent and saw distress flash over his usual stoic features as the gunman stared at the nearest tank._

_"Vincent, let's check the last room and get the fuck out of here," he said, unable to keep the fear out of his voice. Vincent nodded and lead the way down the hall to the last room._

_Cloud followed him through the double doors and stopped. The last room was an average width and breadth but its roof reached up at least 10 levels. All over the walls, small lines of flowing mako crisscrossed like spiderwebs, giving off an eerie glow. The only thing in the room were five stone pillars spaced evenly around the outside. They stood over 50 metres tall, reaching straight up before curving over towards the centre of the room. Vincent walked over to one of the pillars, studying the strange symbols that were etched along its sides. Cloud wandered over to him cautiously._

_"Any idea what this is?"_

_"No idea. Chaos seems to know something but he is refusing to enlighten me," Vincent answered flatly._

_"Maybe we should just leave this to Reeve. I don't know about you but I don't want to hang around." Cloud couldn't work out why but this room disturbed him more than the others. Vincent nodded and headed for the doors with Cloud close behind. The gunman suddenly stopped at the doors and Cloud nearly ran into his back._

_"The doors will not open. We seem to have set off some kind of trap," Vincent muttered._

_"What do you mean…," Cloud's question was drowned out by a deafening roar that filled the room. He looked towards Vincent but the gunman was gone and his world exploded into white._

**.**

Cloud shot upright, his arms reaching out for Vincent. It took a few seconds for his brain to reboot and realize that he'd been dreaming. His arms fell back to the bed and his head dropped forward sadly. The recurring dream of his last day in his world was always the same. An exact rerun of that last mission, every detail unchanged.

Running his hands through his hair, Cloud slowly got out of bed and headed for the shower. He wanted to make sure he was clear of the main street before the locals awoke. It was easier to avoid them than take their stares and whispers. As the warm water ran over his body, he thought back over his time in this god forsaken town.

His first memory had been waking up with his sword beside him, lying in a field of rolling green hills, a perfect blue sky above him, a breeze caressing his face, totally alone and in excruciating pain. He'd drifted in and out of consciousness for what seemed like days before someone had found him and taken him to the nearest town. They'd told him it was called Winhill. He'd wondered why he'd never heard of it before.

It had taken him weeks to recover. At first he'd thought the townsfolk were kind, taking him in and caring for him without knowing who he was. Then he'd met the local mayor who had demanded that he repay their kindness by culling the local monsters down to a level that their own people could deal with. The man was abrupt and rude but Cloud had agreed to help. It was the least he could do, considering the circumstances.

He began daily patrols of the town and one day decided to try and work out were he'd ended up by questioning a group of locals. Cloud had asked them were Winhill was and they'd told him south of Galbadia. He'd asked where Galbadia was and they'd looked at him strangely and given him more answers he didn't understand. As he'd continued to question them, asking about cities from his homeland, their answers had taken on a decidedly unfriendly tone before they'd made excuses and left him standing there, bewildered and lost. He recognised the look in their eyes and the way they whispered to each other as they retreated.

Things only went downhill from that point. By the next day none of the locals would talk to him and their previous friendly greetings turned into cold stares and obvious avoidance. With his enhanced hearing he overheard people talking and saying that he was crazy and delusional. It was like his childhood, growing up in Nibelheim, being replayed before him once more. A horrible reminder of growing up as an outcast with no allies or friends. As a child he'd taken it all in his stride but now it was different. Cloud had tasted friendship and acceptance and his adult mind craved it. He didn't know how he could survive it the second time around.

Eventually, he'd worked out that this wasn't his world and that somehow the strange room had transported him here. That discovery had led him to search the surrounding area for miles in all directions in the hope of finding Vincent. Weeks turned into months and he found no trace of his friend anywhere.

After six months he'd come to the depressing conclusion that he was totally alone in a foreign land. Cloud had cried his heart out then, realizing he would never see his friends or home again. Never again would he see Denzel or Marlene's smile. Never again would he fight with Vincent, Tifa, Barret, Yuffie, Cid or Nanaki at his side. They were all just memories now. Yet more ghosts of his past to haunt his empty heart.

Turning off the shower, he got dressed quickly and slung his sword onto his back. He'd overheard the locals gossiping over some foreign President coming to stay for a week on the outskirts of the town and was planning on taking a look at him. At least it would brake up the monotony of his day.


	4. Chapter 4

Kiros glanced over at Vincent when he heard him sigh and noticed him rubbing his eyes. He wished there was something he could do to ease the gunman's discomfort. Unfortunately, he knew very little about what Chaos was doing to Vincent inside his head and the gunman wouldn't elaborate any further.

Kiros was already worried about what had happened last night when the gunman's eyes had turned yellow and his voice had changed. He was sure that Chaos had taken control of Vincent without the gunman's consent and with what he knew of the demon, it was essential that they contain him. Apart from the destruction and loss of life Chaos would cause, the thought of having to hunt down Chaos, with Vincent trapped inside and maybe even kill them both, was not a path that Kiros could ever follow. The realization of how much he now felt for Vincent was a surprise to him considering he'd always believed that only Laguna could bring forth such desire in him.

A sudden flash of yellow startled Kiros out of his musings as it blurred past him. He turned to find Vincent, flat on his back with a blond man sprawled over him. The gunman's eyes were wide and he was gasping for air as he was bear hugged by the stranger. Kiros was so shocked by the intrusion that all he could do was stare, frozen on the spot. Laguna appeared beside him and grabbed his arm, jogging him out of his paralysis.

"What in Shiva's name is going on? I thought you were being attacked by a chocobo!" exclaimed Laguna, looking over at Vincent who was now trying to dislodge the man on top of him. Kiros' eyes met the President's and both began to laugh. Vincent growled at them, his face flushing red.

"Could one of you stop laughing long enough to assist me?" he spat out. Kiros swallowed and tried to contain his amusement, walking over and tapping the blond's shoulders.

"Hey! You're gonna suffocate him if you don't let him go," he said, trying to be serious. The stranger's only reaction was to hang on tighter which made Vincent squeak in a high pitched and very un-manly way. The noise sent Laguna and Kiros into a fresh round of laughter, tears running down their cheeks as they both failed to contain their mirth.

**.**

"Fuck you both," Vincent gasped out, his temper flaring. This was beyond a joke and was becoming painful. Whoever this person was, they were incredibly strong. In desperation he grabbed a handful of blond hair and pulled it hard. The man finally released him and sat back to stare into his eyes. Vincent's anger disappeared as he sat up and gaped at the tear stained face before him.

"Cloud?" he whispered. "Is it really you?"

Vincent reached a hand up to wipe away tears and noticed the desperation in those big blue eyes. Cloud was biting his lip in an attempt to control his emotions and Vincent couldn't help but smile. The swordsman may have been a hero to the planet, the mighty warrior who defeated Sephiroth when no other could but right now he looked like a lost child.

"Vin…Vincent," Cloud spluttered out. The gunman pulled him back into his arms and hugged him, whispering comfort. His mind was spinning in shock as Cloud continued to weep.

Cloud was here.

Vincent realized that the blond had probably been here as long as he had. He was ashamed that he had not even pondered that possibility, in all the months he had been here. He had not even attempted to look for Cloud and the guilt of his selfishness made his chest ache.

In all the years he had known the swordsman, he had never seen him cry. Now the boy was in his arms, weeping his heart out and it disturbed the gunman deeply.  
What in Hades' name had happened to him in these months that they'd been apart?

**.**

Cloud finally got his emotions under control, only to realize he was sitting in Vincent's lap, cuddling him like a five year old. He let the gunman go and stood up, muttering an apology as his face burned in embarrassment. Vincent stood up and put a hand on his shoulder, smiling warmly at him.

"Don't apologize, Cloud. There is no need. I am just happy that we found each other," the gunman responded softly. Cloud mustered up a small smile and Vincent chuckled at him. It was the first time he'd ever heard the gunman laugh.

Cloud realized that they were not alone and turned to look at the two men standing quietly and watching them. They were smiling and Cloud noticed Vincent giving them an odd look.

"This is Cloud Strife. He is a close friend of mine from home," Vincent announced. "Cloud, this is Laguna and Kiros. Laguna is the President of Esthar and Kiros is his assistant. I work as Laguna's bodyguard."

"Nice to meet you," Cloud muttered, keeping his head down to try and hide his red face.

"How are you enjoying our world?" Kiros asked. Cloud stared at the President's assistant. After the townspeople's reaction to him 'coming from another world' consisted of them ostracizing him, he was surprised that these two men seemed perfectly comfortable with the idea.

"Cloud, you do realize that we are in a different world, don't you?" Vincent asked.

"Ah…Yeah, I worked that much out. Just nobody here would believe me. They don't seem to be that open to…unusual ideas."

"We're not all like the residents of Winhill. This town is seriously lacking when it comes to forward thinking," Kiros responded with a smile. "I hope they didn't give you too much grief." Cloud smiled at the remark, instantly relieved.

"Why don't you come back with us to our cabin? It's not far and we can talk in comfort," Laguna added. Cloud nodded and they began to leave when he remembered he'd dropped his sword when he'd seen Vincent for the first time.

"Hang on. I have to get something," he said quickly, running off to retrieve it. When he walked back he noticed Vincent whispering something in Laguna's ear that made the President blush and smile up at the gunman. It made Cloud stop and stare in shock. Vincent was flirting with the President? Vincent knew how to flirt?

"Wow, Cloud. That's one impressive sword," Kiros said, distracting him from his surprise.

"Oh, this? It's kind of an heirloom," he replied softly. Kiros smiled and started chatting away to him as they walked towards the cabin. Cloud wasn't stupid, though. He knew that the President's assistant was trying to distract him from what he'd glimpsed but it only confirmed his suspicions about Vincent and Laguna. They both looked happy and the President was a handsome guy, even if he was older than the gunman. The blond chuckled to himself as he remembered that Vincent was far older than he looked which probably made him the older of the two.

Kiros announced they were approaching the cabin and Cloud looked up to see a two story house in the distance. This was their holiday cabin? He'd seen this house from a distance when he'd been out on his monster hunts and had assumed it belonged to some rich foreigners. It seemed Vincent had managed to get himself a handsome, powerful and wealthy boyfriend. At least one of them was doing well this new world.

**.**

Kiros was watching Cloud as Laguna rambled on about Esthar to the young man. The blond was listening politely but hadn't said a word since they'd finished dinner over an hour ago. Cloud looked worn out as he sipped his coffee and reclined back in the sofa, sending a smile towards Vincent every so often.

"Do you have a place of your own in town?" Laguna asked. Cloud looked up and Kiros noticed the question seemed to sadden the blonde.

"The mayor organized a room for me at the Inn. I get free board and food for keeping the monster numbers in the area down," he replied. "Which reminds me, I should be getting back. I have to get up early in the morning."

"Tomorrow is Saturday. Don't tell me that cheap bastard makes you work on weekends?" Laguna asked with a frown.

"It's not so bad. I really don't have anything else to do," Cloud responded, looking down at his feet.

"Well, now you do. I insist you stay with us, at least for the weekend, so Vincent and you can catch up. I'll handle the mayor if he gives you any trouble over it. That prick owes me and he knows it," the President said smugly. Cloud looked over at Vincent and the gunman nodded in agreement.

"Ok. I'll just crash on the sofa, it's that's alright with you."

"You can have my room. I remember staying in that Inn and the beds were like concrete slabs. I'll bunk out on the sofa," Kiros interjected, smiling. Cloud looked like he was about to argue with him but didn't get the chance as Vincent beat him to it.

"Kiros, you are not sleeping on the sofa. The bed in the master bedroom is big enough for Laguna, me and you. You would have ended up in there with us anyway," the gunman casually responded. Cloud's eyes widened as he processed what Vincent had said and he began to laugh. Laguna blushed at Vincent's blatant outing of their unusual relationship and Kiros found himself choking on his drink.

"Who are you and what have you done with Vincent?" Cloud joked, ducking as the gunman through a pillow at his head.


	5. Chapter 5

Vincent walked Cloud up the stairs and to the right towards the two single rooms. He was relieved his friend would be sleeping in the other end of the house, far away from the master bedroom.

"Gods, Vincent. I can't begin to describe how good it is to see you," Cloud said as he walked into his room and sat on the end of the bed. Vincent smiled back at him warmly. "It looks like you're happy here," the blond continued as he lay back on the bed.

"Yes, I am happy. Things were rocky at first but they are settling down now," the gunman replied. Cloud looked at him questioningly and Vincent chuckled. "Tomorrow I will bore you with the details. For now, you need sleep. You look exhausted." Cloud nodded as he stifled a yawn and Vincent headed for the door.

"Vincent?" The gunman paused in the doorway and glanced back. "It's great to see you smile. Keep it up. Looks good on you," Cloud murmured softly. Vincent nodded, pulling the door closed behind him.

He was still smiling when he entered the master bedroom and found Laguna and Kiros in a tangle of limbs on the bed. Vincent felt his arousal awaken at the sight. They both looked so beautiful, grinding against each other and kissing passionately. Deciding to hang back and enjoy the view, Vincent silently sat down on the floor. Neither one noticed his arrival, both so lost in one another.

Chaos began to purr inside his head and Vincent flinched. He had completely forgotten about his demon problem with the shock of finding Cloud but now that he remembered, the fear came flooding back. The gunman decided he couldn't risk either of his lover's safety until he had Chaos under control again, so he stood up and quietly approached the door, planning on heading to the sofa.

"Where do you think you're going?" Laguna's voice called out behind him. The gunman stopped with his hand on the doorknob, frozen to the spot.

"Vincent? What's wrong?" Kiros asked. Damn it, the gunman thought. When had he become so bad at sneaking around? Chaos snickered inside his head and Vincent sighed, resting his head on the door. He jumped when Laguna's arms wrapped around his waist and he felt his body press against his back. Vincent hadn't even heard him approach.

"Vincent?" Laguna whispered, worry evident in his voice. "Please look at me." Vincent turned around in the President's arms and looked down at him sadly. Laguna reached a hand up to cup his cheek and Vincent closed his eyes. Saying no to Laguna's face was near impossible for him.

"You're worried about Chaos, aren't you?" Kiros murmured from the bed. Vincent opened his eyes to look over at the other man.

"What are you talking about, Kiros?" Laguna said, turning worried eyes towards his assistant. The silence grew in the room as Vincent and Kiros stared at each other. Vincent turned to look at Laguna and found him looking back from one to the other, frowning deeply.

Laguna's phone began ringing, breaking the silence with it's shrill beeping. The President picked it up, running a hand through his hair as he flipped it open and checked the caller I.D.

"It's Squall. I better take this," he whispered, looking up at both men. "I'll be back in five minutes," he added as he headed out the door and pulled it closed.

**.**

Kiros stood up and approached Vincent with a plan clear in his mind. Seeing Vincent in distress was painful, so he decided to try and fix the problem by going directly to the source.

Kiros grabbed the front of the gunman's shirt, pushing him back against the door. Vincent gave no resistance to the rough treatment, so Kiros took the opportunity to begin kissing and biting his neck, while pushing their bodies together.

"Kiros…please stop," Vincent begged, the gunman's hips thrusting against Kiros in a direct contradiction to his words. Kiros ignored him and reached a hand up into his hair, grabbing a handful and pulling it as he bit down hard on Vincent's neck. He tasted blood in his mouth, but he didn't stop until he heard the familiar growl erupt from the gunman's throat. He pulled back to stare into yellow eyes looking at him hungrily.

"Chaos, we need to talk," Kiros whispered, licking the blood from his lips. "In private."

"That can be arranged," Chaos purred from Vincent's mouth. A black mist surrounded them and Kiros closed his eyes, trying to control his fear. When he opened them, moments later, he was looking at Chaos in his full form. Kiros failed to contain the shiver that ran up his spine as the demon licked his face.

"My vessel sleeps. What did you want to talk about, my ebony beauty," Chaos murmured as he began running his teeth lightly over Kiros neck. Kiros knew that he was treading on very dangerous ground and he swallowed nervously at the realization that the demon could kill him in a heartbeat if it decided to. To ensure Vincent's happiness and end the gunman's constant suffering, he was willing to risk it.

**.**

When Vincent came back to his senses, he was lying on the bed with Kiros beside him.

"What just happened? Are you alright?" he demanded, turning to look at his lover.

"Chaos came for a visit. I talked him into leaving us alone tonight.," Kiros said, holding Vincent's gaze without flinching.

"Are you insane?" Vincent hissed. "He could have killed you!"

"As you can plainly see, I'm fine," Kiros retorted. Vincent's anger flared and he pounced on the smaller man, pinning him to the bed.

"Kiros, this is why I have to sleep else where. I can not risk you and Laguna's safety…," Vincent began before Kiros cut him off with a kiss.

"Chaos will not bother us again tonight, I promise. Sleep here with us," Kiros continued, moving his kisses down the gunman's neck. "Can't you just stop worrying and trust me?" Kiros whispered.

"It is not you that I do not trust," the gunman growled. "Demons should never be trusted. Especially this one." Kiros' eyes flickered to the door and Vincent heard Laguna's approaching footsteps.

"Please, Vincent. Can't we just drop this and enjoy tonight?" Kiros begged softly as the doorknob began to turn. The gunman leaned forward until he was nose to nose with the smaller man.

"This conversation is far from over. Tomorrow we will talk," Vincent whispered.

**.**

Laguna looked down at his feet as he entered his room and sighed. He'd made the mistake of mentioning that Vincent's friend Cloud was staying with them to his son and Squall had reacted in typical Squall fashion. Fifty questions that he had no answers for and then a rambling tirade about opening his doors to strangers that could do him harm. Honestly, he wasn't some whimpering weakling that needed constant protection. He trusted Vincent and if he said Cloud was safe, Laguna believed him. His son's lack of confidence in his ability to make sensible decisions was starting to become aggravating.

"Laguna? Is everything okay with Squall?" Kiros asked, snapping the President out of his thoughts. Laguna looked up to find Vincent had Kiros pinned to the bed. Both men were looking at him.

"Um…yeah. He's just being his usual cheery self again," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. "So, what were you two talking about before I left the room? Something about Vin being worried about Chaos?"

"It's nothing. Just Vin being paranoid," Kiros mumbled as he began nibbling on the gunman's lips. Vincent stilled momentarily before returning the kiss, pushing down against the other man as he devoured Kiros' mouth. Laguna sighed and smiled at his two lovers, forgetting all about Squall and Chaos. Being here with them was worth all the other shit a million times over. Vincent finally released Kiros' lips to turn towards Laguna with one eyebrow raised.

"Come here. Clothes off now," Vincent growled. Laguna's smile grew even wider at the look in the gunman's eyes.

"And Squall wonders what I see in you," Laguna chuckled as he began to undress.


	6. Chapter 6

Cloud awoke early, his body too used to waking up at the break of dawn for him to sleep in. As he descended the stairs his stomach grumbled at the smell that wafted up to greet him. He found Kiros in the kitchen cooking something on the stove and smiled at the colourful apron he was wearing.

"Good morning, Cloud. Can I interest you in some breakfast and coffee?" the President's assistant asked. Cloud nodded in response as his stomach grumbled in hunger.

"Can I do anything to help?" Cloud asked. Kiros pointed to the coffee machine and Cloud poured two cups, taking them over to the kitchen table and sitting down. Kiros served up two plates of omelette with toast and joined him. As they ate, Cloud couldn't stop smiling. He couldn't remember the last time he'd had breakfast, as the Inn only served coffee before lunch. He appreciated not having to go hungry all morning and the omelette was delicious. Cloud finished it quickly, looking up to see Kiros watching him.

"I take it they still don't serve breakfast at the Inn?" the older man said with a chuckle. Cloud blushed as he realized he'd scoffed the food down like he hadn't eaten for days. Looking at Kiros' plate he saw that the other man had barely touched his own meal.

"Even if they did, it wouldn't of tasted this good," Cloud muttered, smiling at Kiros and trying to ignore his burning face.

"I'm glad you liked it," Kiros replied, nursing his coffee in both hands. "Cloud, I should warn you that Laguna's son will be arriving today. He can be unfriendly and I wanted to make sure you don't take his behaviour personally."

"What, is he a little terror?" Cloud said remembering Denzel back home. Kiros began laughing at his comment, nearly choking on his coffee.

"More like a big terror. He's around the same age as you. Squall tends to be overprotective of Laguna and…well, I suppose the words 'antisocial and hostile' probably describe him best. Vincent and Squall don't get along at all so he'll probably treat you as the enemy too. Just don't let him bother you, okay?"

"Thanks for the warning. I'll keep it in mind. Oh, and thanks for breakfast too," Cloud added earnestly.

"You're welcome. I've got to go out for a while. Could you tell the others that I'll be back in an hour or so?" Kiros asked, standing up and putting his unfinished breakfast on the side of the sink.

Cloud nodded at him and watched as the older man left. He felt a wave of nervous energy and fear coming off Kiros and it concerned him. Shaking his head at his paranoia he dismissed it quickly. It wasn't like there was anything to be scared of in this isolated little town full of hillbillies.

**.**

Laguna wandered down the steps and headed straight for the coffee machine. When he'd woken up, Vincent and Kiros had already left and he'd felt like cuddling but his pillow just didn't cut it. He felt like shit and was not looking forward to Squall's arrival. As much as he wanted to see his son, he knew the first thing Squall would do was give him another lecture. Made him feel like his mother was coming to visit.

Sipping on his coffee, he headed to the sofa and nearly sat on top of Cloud. Fuck. He'd forgotten all about him. Blushing profusely, he apologized and sat across from the blond, belatedly greeting him.

"Bad morning?" Cloud asked with a grin.

"I'm not really a morning person, if you know what I mean," he mumbled with a smile. Glancing at the Cloud, he sighed. He'd really enjoyed talking to him last night and was hoping that when Squall met him he'd realize the boy wasn't a threat.

"Kiros asked me to tell you that he had to go out. He left about an hour ago, so he should be back soon," Cloud said softly.

"Oh, okay. You didn't happen to see Vincent this morning?" he asked.

"No, sorry I haven't," Cloud answered, stretching in his chair. Damn it, where had the gunman gone? Laguna finished his coffee and set it down on the side table.

"Did Kiros tell you about my son arriving today? He…he is kind of unfriendly and…," the President's voice trailed off as he tried to find the right words to describe Squall.

"Yeah, I've been warned," the blond answered with a smirk. "He's not going to like me, is he?"

"Squall doesn't like anyone, as far as I can tell. He just tolerates some of us," Laguna muttered dejectedly, staring down at his hands. "It's not his fault, though. We didn't know we were related until a few years ago and his mom died giving birth to him so he had a really hard time growing up. Spent his early years stuck in an orphanage with no family to care for him. Then he began training to fight at such an early age and had so much pressure put on him and no-one there to guide him. Amazing he didn't turn into a serial killer or something with all he's been through." Laguna looked up, suddenly remembering who he was talking to.

"Oh, sorry to ramble. Sure you've got better things to do than listen to an old man rave on," he muttered out apologetically.

"I don't mind at all, Laguna. It's nice to see you care so much about him," Cloud answered sincerely. The President smiled. He definitely wanted to adopt this one…or maybe he could swap Squall for him. He mentally slapped himself as he remembered it was his fault that Squall was so difficult in the first place. If he'd stayed in Winhill it would have all been so different.

**.**

Kiros snuck into the house through the back door and made his way to the bedroom, thankfully unnoticed by anyone. He dug through his bag, grabbing a potion and downing it. It was the last one he had and he'd have to stock up on them if he was going to keep this hidden from the others. He heard someone coming down the hall and quickly grabbed a change of clothes before heading into the en suite, locking the door behind him.

"Vincent? Is that you?" Laguna called from the bedroom.

"It's me, Laguna. I'm just having a shower. I'll be out in a minute," he replied, managing to keep his voice neutral.

"Oh, okay. I'll be downstairs," Laguna answered. Kiros heard him shut the door as he left and sighed in relief.

All he had to do now was keep his game face on. Knowing first hand just what he had signed up for certainly didn't make it any easier.

**.**

Laguna walked back downstairs to check the time. Squall would be here any minute and he still hadn't found Vincent, although at least Kiros was back. He opened the front door, planning on joining Cloud who was sitting on the lawn in the sun and came face to face with a worried looking Vincent.

"Laguna, is Kiros here? Is he alright?" the gunman asked nervously.

"He's upstairs in the shower and he's fine. Why do you ask?" he said walking over to hug him tightly.

"I dreamed that Chaos hurt Kiros. Then, when I woke up I was out in the fields," Vincent whispered, returning the hug and breathing in deeply. "I was worried that it was a memory and not a dream."

"Hey, it's okay. It's just a nightmare," Laguna softly replied. "I know you would never hurt Kiros," he added, looking up into ruby red eyes. Gods, he loved those eyes. He stretched up to softly kiss Vincent's lips and was rewarded with a soft exhale of breath. Laguna was relieved to feel the gunman relax in his arms. Vincent moved a hand up into his hair and deepened the kiss until Laguna whimpered and pushed their hips together.

"Yuffie would pay a million gil to be in my shoes right now," Cloud interjected from the lawn. The kiss stopped abruptly and both men turned to see the blonde looking at them with a cheeky grin. "Sorry to interrupt, but there's an airship approaching." Laguna looked out over the hills and saw the Ragnorak in the distance. His son always did have the worst possible timing.


	7. Chapter 7

Vincent left before Squall had even gotten off the Ragnorak, taking Cloud with him despite Laguna's protests. He insisted that Cloud and he had a lot of catching up to do and would be back by dinnertime.

Both men lay on their backs, staring up at the sky as they swapped stories of their time apart. Vincent found it harder than he had expected. He couldn't tell Cloud about Squall drugging and assaulting him, even though he trusted the blond with his life. His failure to protect himself in the bedroom from a young man that he could best on the battle field was humiliating and left him feeling powerless and weak. It reminded him of his time under Hojo's control and he couldn't deal with the similarities of yet another failure. When Cloud asked him directly what had happened, he simply replied that the details where unimportant before turning the conversation over to his friend.

Cloud's time here had been a cruel replication of his younger years. Once again ostracized by the locals and left friendless and alone, he had dealt with it by reverting back to the silent outcast, just as he had then. Vincent insisted that Cloud should leave Winhill and return with them to Esthar and the young man agreed, much to Vincent's relief.

"So, we really are stuck here?" Cloud asked turning over on the grass to face the gunman.

"It seems so. Esthar is the most technically advanced city on this planet and they have no idea of how we were transported here or even what Mako is. While I will miss our friends, I am happy to be given a chance to start over new, even if I am still less than human," Vincent answered with a smile.

"You're more human than most of the people in this town," Cloud muttered, making the gunman laugh out loud. "I'm worried how Tifa, Marlene and Denzel will cope without me though. We were barely making ends meet with my delivery service. Now I'm not there..."

"Trust me, Cloud. Our other friends will step up to help them and ensure they are safe and taken care of, I am sure. You need to let them go and take advantage of this new start we've been given. This world is a far better place than our old world will ever be. There is no Shinra, Hojo or mako reactors sucking the planet dry and the leaders seem to have the people's best interests as their top priority."

"I suppose you're right. It's just gonna take time to get used to, you know? You being here does make it easier, though," Cloud answered as he closed his eyes and sighed.

"Remember, Cloud. I am here for you and I always will be. You are not alone," Vincent replied.

**.**

Squall appeared with his usual frown which Laguna ignored as he wrapped his arms around his son and greeted him warmly. Kiros was surprised when the Commander returned the hug, something Squall had never done before. Pulling away from his father, he greeted Kiros and then mumbled something about getting some rest before disappearing into his room for the rest of the day.

As night fell, Laguna insisted they all eat dinner together and after a quick introduction between Squall and Cloud, the table had fallen quiet. Now, the only sound was the clanging of cutlery as the five men ate their meal in silence. Even Laguna kept quiet, frowning as he stared holes in his plate. The tension in the air was so thick that Kiros felt like he was on the edge of a chasm with the ground slowly crumbling away beneath him. To escape the stifling environment, he stood and began clearing the table. Cloud got up to help him, following him into the kitchen.

"Is it always like this when Squall comes to dinner?" the blond asked, keeping his voice down to avoid the others hearing him.

"No, usually he lightens up a bit around his father," Kiros replied with a smile. "All the tension is because it's the first time that Squall and Vincent have been in the same room since Laguna recovered. We knew that it would be difficult but Laguna is determined to try and broker some kind of peace between them. I told him that it was too soon. Vincent won't even talk about what happened and Squall only shows remorse for hurting his dad. If I was in Vincent's place, I wouldn't forgive him either. I just wish Laguna would let it go and except that the two are better kept apart."

"Kiros, could you tell me what exactly he did to Vincent?"

"He didn't tell you? Oh shit, I'm sorry Cloud. I just assumed that he would have told you today when you were catching up," Kiros babbled out, blushing in embarrassment. He should have known better than to bring up the subject with Cloud unless he knew for sure that Vincent wanted his friend to know about it.

"He did tell me about most of it," the young man said with a smile. "He just wouldn't tell me exactly what Squall did to him."

"Oh…um…well I…" Kiros' reply died on his lips when the sound of raised voices interrupted him. Running back down the hall, he found Laguna standing between Squall and Vincent as the two glared at each other.

"What in Shiva's name is going on?" Kiros questioned, walking forward to join Laguna between the two.

"I'm sorry Laguna but there is no possible way that I will leave Cloud under the command of this…this man," Vincent hissed from between clenched teeth. Kiros could see the gunman shaking with the effort to keep his anger under control. He could only pray that Chaos held to his side of their deal and stayed away.

"He is a fighter. He belongs in Garden not in Esthar leaching off my father," Squall spat back. "It's bad enough dad insists on letting you stay there and take advantage of his kindness."

"Damn it, Squall. For the hundredth time, Vincent is not taking advantage of me! He is my partner and he works for me," Laguna growled out, his temper flaring. "I am not some fucking pathetic old fool…," he began, voice rising in volume before Squall interrupted him.

"What he does in the bedroom doesn't count as work, father." Laguna's face turned beat red and his mouth dropped open in shock at his son's words.

"How dare you speak to Laguna like that. Have some respect for your father, at least!" Vincent retorted.

"Vincent! Don't rise to his taunts. Please, just walk away now," Kiros pleaded, trying in vain to push the gunman out of the room.

"Don't you dare tell me how to speak to my own father. You are nothing but a failed science experiment, a freak that should be put down. My father should be with Kiros, not you!" Squall yelled.

"I may be a freak, boy, but you are the monster who drugs and rapes people," Vincent hissed back.

"SHUT UP!" Laguna screamed, momentarily silencing the room. "This stops now or I swear, the next person who speaks is going to get my gun up their fucking ass, is that clear!"

"That's no threat to Vincent. He's already had your gun up his ass so many times..." Squall's retort was cut off as Laguna lunged at his son. Kiros managed to grab him around the waist before any damage was done and held him still as the President fumed in his arms.

"Right, both of you go to your rooms, now before you give Laguna another heart attack," Kiros demanded, glaring at both men in turn as he stood between them holding the struggling President. When neither man moved, Kiros felt his own temper explode. "I SAID GO!" he bellowed.

Vincent was the first to move, sweeping out the door and up the stairs without a word. Squall followed seconds later and Kiros held on to the still cursing Laguna until he heard the Commanders door bang shut. He finally released the President, only to be shoved into the wall as Laguna stomped out of the house, slamming the door in his wake.

Silence descended on the house as Kiros leaned back against the wall and took a deep breath. Movement across the room reminded him that he'd forgotten all about their other guest. Cloud stood staring at Kiros, his face pale and his eyes wide. The poor boy looked completely shell shocked.

"Can I get you a coffee, Cloud?" he asked softly, smiling at the blond.

"Got anything harder?" Cloud muttered. Kiros' smile grew wider as he made his way over to the small bar in the corner of the lounge room. Pouring a generous glass of whiskey, he handed it to Cloud and watched as he downed the whole glass in one go. Kiros refilled it and the boy did the same with the next before handing the glass back to Kiros.

"Thanks, I needed that," the blond sighed out, still looking pale. Kiros didn't know what to say but felt the need to at least make an attempt at comforting the blonde.

"Cloud, I'm sorry you had to see that. It is unfortunate that finding you coincided with this particular night," Kiros said, wincing at his insufficient words. Cloud looked up at him, smiling at his attempts.

"It's alright, Kiros. I've just never seen Vincent show…well much of any emotion before. Whatever Squall did must have been bad," Cloud mused, his eyes questioning silently. Kiros twined one of his braids between his fingers uncomfortably as he thought over telling Cloud about that night.

"I'd like to tell you what happened but it's not my place. It was something…personal and very traumatic for Vincent and I really think it best if he tells you himself. I don't want to cause him more pain by telling you something that he doesn't want you to know," Kiros murmured quietly, hating to keep the boy in the dark but knowing that Vincent would be angry at him if he did not. Cloud considered his words for a few minutes before a small smile grew on his lips.

"Vincent is lucky to have found such loyal friends here," the blonde remarked before continuing, "and don't worry about it. I'm sure if it was important for me to know, Vincent would of told me. Maybe in time he'll feel more open to discuss it with me."

"Thanks for being so understanding," Kiros said lamely, still feeling a little guilty. He didn't like keeping secrets but his loyalty to Vincent allowed him no other option. Kiros realized the hypocrisy of that statement in his head and ignored it. His secret was different.

"Think I'll turn in now," Cloud announced, jogging the older man from his thoughts. "See you in the morning, Kiros." He watched the blonde disappear up the stairs before he headed for Laguna's bedroom, wondering what state he would find Vincent in.

He found the gunman in their bed, curled up on his side facing away from him. Vincent looked oddly childlike as he hugged a pillow to his chest. Kiros undressed and crawled in behind him, spooning the dark haired man and placing an arm on his hip in a gesture that was hopefully comforting.

"Sorry," Vincent's voice whispered softly in the dark.

"It's alright, Vin. You've got a right to be angry about what he did to you," Kiros replied, placing a kiss onto the shoulder before him. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," came the usual reply, making Kiros frown but not voice his disappointment. Vincent needed to talk about what happened to begin to heal but Kiros knew that pushing the issue would achieve nothing.

"Okay. Just remember that when you're ready to talk, I'm here for you," he said instead. The gunman responded by taking Kiros' hand from his hip and kissing it before hugging it to his chest. Smiling sadly, Kiros curled closer to him while wondering when the hell Laguna would come home.

**.**

Cloud made his way across the fields just as the sun was cresting the horizon. He'd escaped the house early, not wanting to see anyone after last night's argument. Witnessing Vincent losing his temper had shocked him at first but when that wore off he'd become angry at the fact they had completely left him out of the conversation. It was his future after all. If there was another option open to him, apart from Esthar, than it should be up to him to decide. Vincent wasn't in charge of him and had no right to refuse in his place, even if the gunman seemed to have his best interests in mind.

Vincent's refusal to tell him what Squall had done to him also ate at Cloud's mind. After everything they'd been through together, he'd thought the gunman trusted him and respected him as an equal but maybe it'd been nothing but wishful thinking on his part. He had lain awake all night, turning it all over in his mind until first light when he'd given up and decided to leave the house and find some monsters to take his aggravation out on.

Cloud had no idea where to go from this point. He didn't want to be a liability to Vincent, following the gunman around like some needy child and getting in the way of his new life. The problem was he really had nowhere else to go. Maybe he should talk to Squall about this 'Garden' organization and see if there was a place there for him. Vincent had already mentioned they were a mercenary group who fought for a living. Sounded like the perfect place for him. Spotting some prey and readying his sword, Cloud let last nights trouble fade away as his body slipped into battle mode.


	8. Chapter 8

Squall followed Cloud silently, staying well back but close enough to observe the young man. The blond disposed of the local monsters with no effort at all, his battle skills obviously far too high for him to find any difficultly in this area.

As Squall watched, he found his eyes wondering over the fighter's body curiously. Cloud was deceptively thin. At first glance he didn't look threatening in the slightest. Watching the young man in action quickly demonstrated how wrong that assumption was. The blond swung his huge sword around with no effort, showing that he had a strength which belied his svelte form. He moved with a grace that revealed many years of experience, cutting down his opponents with no hesitation.

Squall couldn't tear his eyes away. To see such a pretty, innocent looking face attached to a deadly fighter was a huge turn on for the Commander. As hard as he tried to hate the newcomer, he found his thoughts travelling in the completely opposite direction.

The sun was high overhead when Squall finally tore himself away and headed back to the house. He was relieved to find it empty and grabbed a quick lunch before heading to his room. As he finished eating, he noticed his phone on the side table and decided to call his father and try to make amends for what happened last night. He'd said things to Laguna that he regretted and wanted to apologise and fix things between them. Every time he was in the same room as Valentine he ended up losing his temper and hurting his father's feelings. The gunman somehow managed to damage their father/son relationship without even trying and it infuriated Squall that Laguna always took his side. He should have killed the bastard when he'd had the chance.

**.**

Laguna woke up alone, cold and completely disorientated. Glancing around at the tacky interior he sat up in shock before his neurons began to fire and everything came rushing back to him. He'd completely lost his temper last night and tried to hit his son.

Squall was probably already on his way back to Garden and would never speak to him again. Laguna felt tears well in his eyes at the thought. He'd made so much progress with Squall over the last month and he was disgusted with himself for letting one argument ruin it all.

Even worse, he'd done it in front of Vincent's friend and the poor boy probably thought he was a complete lunatic. Considering Cloud was the only 'family' Vincent had here, he'd really wanted to make a good impression on him. Last night had certainly killed that idea.

Vincent's anger at Squall shouldn't have surprised him. The pain his lover felt at what had happened that night was far greater than Laguna had thought and he felt a deep guilt at his attempt to push the two together for his own selfish reasons. It was just that he loved them both so deeply and wanted to make his whole family a close unit but reality had finally come home to roost. Vincent would never forgive Squall for raping him that night and Squall didn't really deserve to be forgiven. Laguna hated to admit it to himself but his son appeared to feel no guilt or remorse over what he'd done to Vincent and that hurt him deeply. Could Squall really be that twisted and warped?

Lying back down on the bed he sighed deeply. After stomping off into the night, he'd ended up staring up at the window of the room he used to share with Raine. He had missed her more at that moment than he had in years. Raine would have known exactly how to deal with Squall and would have never lost her temper. Not like him. Time and time again his son left him floundering and completely lost for words. The boy seemed to know just what to say to push all of his buttons and was one of the few people in the world who could make Laguna lose his temper.

Eventually he'd made his way towards the local Inn, drowning in memories as he walked the empty streets. When he'd arrived the new owners hadn't recognised him, thankfully, and having left the house without any money, he'd had to use his watch as security to get a room. Now morning was here, he'd have to go home and get some money to get it back.

Sitting up on the side of the bed, he tried to talk himself into moving. Laguna just didn't feel strong enough to face everyone yet. He needed more time to get his head together. A loud knock startled him upright and his leg cramped up in objection to the move. Rubbing the offending limb, he limped over and opened the door.

"Good morning, Laguna," Kiros said softly, closing the door behind himself before wrapping his arms around the President. Laguna clung to him, needing the comfort more than he wanted to admit. After a few minutes, Kiros pulled back to hold up Laguna's watch with a smile.

"Thanks," Laguna mumbled. "Hey, how did you know where I was?"

"Well, when it hit midnight and you hadn't come home, I called the Inn. They told me a man that matched your description had used his watch to hire a room under the name of Kiros Ward. I assumed it was you," Kiros said with a grin. Laguna smiled back, leaning forward to rest his forehead against his friends. An idea popped into his head, giving him the perfect reason to delay going home and avoid thinking about the mess their lives had become, even if it would be for just a little while.

"Kiros, don't you think it'd be a waste of money to leave here now? After all the room is paid for until twelve and it's only just gone nine," Laguna purred, trying his hardest to sound sexy. He began to kiss Kiros' neck, nipping it lightly as he savoured the taste. His friend chuckled and grabbed his butt, squeezing it gently.

"I think you may have a point, Mr President," Kiros whispered. "Although you can't avoid going home forever." Laguna stopped what he was doing and frowned at his lover.

"I was trying to seduce you," he said indignantly, unable to stop the pout that found its way to his lips.

"And with that adorable expression, you have succeeded," Kiros replied, capturing the pout and coaxing Laguna's lips apart with his tongue. Laguna melted into his kiss, his annoyance instantly forgotten. He didn't even notice that he was moving backwards until the bed bumped against his legs and Kiros lowered him gently down onto his back, not even pausing in the slow, languid dance of their tongues.

His lover's movements were like liquid silver over him, sliding their arousals together in maddeningly slow movements. Laguna whimpered in response, his hands grabbing Kiros' hips as he tried to increase the friction. Kiros released his lips and gazed at him with a look that took his breath away.

"Would you take me, Laguna?" he murmured.

"Take you where?" the President asked, his face clouding with confusion. Kiros began to laugh and sudden the penny dropped. "Oh! You mean…" Laguna's voice trailed off and Kiros nodded in reply. "Are you sure? You'll have to help me out because I've never done it like that before and I don't want to…." Kiros cut off his babbling with a deep kiss. He felt a hand undo his pants and slip under his boxers to take hold of him, sliding gently up and down with feather light touches that made him moan into the kiss. Kiros moved his lip's caresses along his jaw and down his neck, nipping lightly as he went.

"Too many clothes," Kiros growled, moving his head down to undo Laguna's shirt buttons with his teeth, his dexterous tongue making short work of them as his hands went to work on the President's pants. The thought of what else that tongue could do made Laguna bite his lip. Kiros sat back to remove his pants, pausing to look over his lovers body when he'd finished. Laguna blushed back at him, feeling a little too exposed with Kiros still being fully dressed. His lover smiled before leaning forward to kiss his cheek in an oddly chaste manner.

"Don't move an inch. I'll be right back," Kiros whispered, getting up and disappearing into the bathroom. Laguna couldn't help laughing when a now completely naked Kiros returned with a bottle of complimentary hand lotion and a cheeky grin.

Throwing the bottle beside him, he crept up the bed, starting at Laguna's feet and laying kisses on his thighs that slowly trailed up to his already hard cock. As Kiros' tongue lapped over the head in a feline like manner, Laguna softly ran his fingers along the other mans braids, twisting them around his fingers.

Kiros moved his licks up and down the sides of his shaft in a teasing manner before his mouth swallowed him, moving down slowly while sucking so hard that Laguna went cross-eyed. It felt so good that he had to move his hands so he could fist the bed sheets and control the urge to thrust up into the delicious heat. Kiros pressed a hand onto his hip to hold Laguna in place as his head began to bob up and down slowly, keeping up the suction and causing the President to make noises that would ensure that the owners of the Inn never rented him a room again. Laguna was far too lost in the sensation to care and threw his head back, continuing to voice his enjoyment. Just when the President thought he was going to lose it, Kiros lay a final kiss on his erection and sat up.

"Ready for me?" Kiros purred. Laguna nodded but as Kiros moved into position, the President grabbed his hips and stopped him.

"I…I need to prepare you first," he stuttered out.

"It's okay, baby. I took care of that while I was tasting you," Kiros whispered. The thought of his lover preparing himself while sucking him off added a whole new level of desire to Laguna's already overloaded senses. "Let me show you how much I love you," Kiros purred as he began lowering himself down, slowly pushing past the initial resistance and not stopping until he was seated on Laguna's hips.

The President was biting his bottom lip again, unable to take his eyes off the sight of his lover impaled to the hilt, dark eyes closed in concentration. When Kiros opened his eyes, they locked onto Laguna's and he began to move. Lifting up slowly, Kiros rotated his hips in a circular motion as he descended, giving Laguna the most amazing feeling along the length of his cock. Kiros continued repeating the motion until Laguna was begging beneath him for mercy.

"Gods…Laguna…you feel so good inside me," Kiros moaned, running his fingers over the President's chest.

"Kiros…please…faster," Laguna panted out in desperation. Kiros leant back, moving his hands to rest on either side of Laguna's thighs as he abandoned the swiveling in favour of slamming down hard and fast, breaking eye contact to throw back his head. Laguna kept his eyes open, memorizing the sight of his lover impaling himself on his cock, over and over in the most wanton display.

"Amazing…uh…so good," he muttered, reaching a hand up to wrap around Kiros' erection and pump it in time to the thrusts.

"Laguna…fuck…yes…oh Gods," Kiros moaned out as he clamped down on Laguna's length and shot his load across the President's chest. The sight of Kiros' climax pushed Laguna over the edge and he came hard, jerking up erratically into his lover.

When Laguna came back to his senses, Kiros was licking his chest clean with the President's softening cock still inside of him. Laguna pulled him up for a kiss, lazily rolling their tongues together as his hands caressed down Kiros' back to rest on his butt.

Kiros broke the kiss to gaze down at him with a grin.

"I can't believe we spent so long together without doing this. All that time wasted," Kiros mused out loud. Laguna reached up to cup his lover's face with both hands.

"We'll just have to make up for lost time," he replied with a smile.

**.**


	9. Chapter 9

Squall put down his phone with a frustrated sigh. No answer and no idea where Laguna was. He stretched on his bed before standing up and grabbing his jacket, deciding to go out and see if he could find where his father had wandered off to. He was relieved to find downstairs still empty and he walked out the front door, looking down at the dirt beneath his feet as he thought about how to apologize.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn't see Laguna approaching until he nearly walked into him. Looking up, all his words died in his throat at the expression on his father's face.

"Dad?" he whispered.

"Right now I need to speak to Vincent. When I'm finished, you and I need to talk," Laguna said, walking past him and into the house. Squall turned and stared after him, frowning at his words. Typical. Once again the gunman came first.

"Squall? Can I interest you in some breakfast?" Kiros asked, making the Commander turn in surprise. He hadn't even noticed his father's assistant standing nearby.

"Whatever," Squall mumbled. At least it would give him something to do until Laguna was finished taking care of his priorities.

**.**

Laguna found Vincent still in bed and staring up at the roof which worried him immediately. Being past midday Laguna expected the gunman to be up and already out of the house.

"Hey," he said softly, crawling onto the bed and into his lover's arms. Vincent sighed as he wrapped his arms around him, nuzzling into his neck.

"Missed you," Vincent whispered. "And I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I'm sorry too," Laguna answered, moving until his head rested on his lover's chest.

"What for?"

"Pushing things with you and Squall. After what he did it was selfish of me to expect you to forgive him," Laguna said sadly. "Especially since he obviously feels no remorse for what he did to you." Vincent hugged him closer, reaching up to play with his hair with his free hand.

"But he is your son. It is normal for you to want peace between us. You do not have to apologize for that."

"He may be my son but that doesn't excuse what he did to you," Laguna replied, sighing. "If he was sorry for what he did then maybe there'd be a chance but the way he's been acting he doesn't deserve forgiveness. I just wish I could understand why he dislikes you so much."

"He thinks I am taking you away from him," Vincent murmured. Laguna frowned at his words, sitting up to look down at his lover.

"You think so? A couple of months ago he didn't want to be around me at all," Laguna said skeptically.

"Laguna, he may have acted closed towards you before but the fact he would go to such lengths to get rid of me should show you that he already loved you. He just has no idea how to express how he feels," Vincent said, peering into his eyes sadly.

"I wish he could get it into his head that I'm his father and no one can take me away from him," Laguna said softly, amazed at his lover's insight. Squall had drugged and taken advantage of him but the gunman was still trying to help strengthen the relationship between him and his son. The man astounded Laguna with his selflessness.

"He will with time, Laguna," Vincent reassured.

"I hope so. Hey, what are you still doing in bed anyway? I thought you'd be up and spending some time with Cloud."

Vincent's eyebrow raised as he grinned back at Laguna. "Trying to get rid of me already?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Well, Cloud is rather cute," Laguna laughed, jumping off the bed to dodge Vincent's arms which made a half hearted attempt to catch him. "Hey, we could always adopt him. It'd be nice to have a son that was easy to talk to."

"Oh, I am sure Cloud is old enough to look after himself. I hardly think he needs adopting at his age," Vincent retorted, climbing out of bed.

"Then maybe you should let him decide whether to go to Balamb garden or stay with us in Esthar," Laguna said, looking uncertainly at Vincent. "I'm sorry, it's just that you and Squall were so busy arguing last night that nobody even thought to stop and ask Cloud what he'd like to do. I can't help but think that a man his age would be offended by the way the two of you were deciding his future without his input."

"You have a point, Laguna," Vincent said frowning. "I will speak to him as soon as he returns."

"Good. After all, I don't want the two of you to be on bad terms. Cloud needs all the friends he can get at the moment," Laguna said with a grin. "Okay, now that that's settled, how about we go downstairs and have some lunch. Kiros promised me pancakes and I'm starving." Laguna's stomach rumbled loudly in support of his suggestion

"Pancakes? What are we celebrating this time?" Vincent remarked. Laguna blushed thinking of what he and Kiros had been doing earlier at the hotel.

"Oh, um, nothing in particular," he mumbled, looking at the floor and chewing his lip nervously. Vincent walked over to him, pinning him against the wall and kissing him soundly before pulling back and looking into his eyes.

"Was Kiros really that good this morning," Vincent growled with a predatory grin. "Maybe I should be worried." Laguna rolled his eyes at Vincent, as his stomach once again grumbled in protest.

"Do you think you could be worried after lunch? I'm really hungry right now," he said as he tried to wriggle out of Vincent's hold. Chuckling at his futile attempts of escape, Vincent finally released him, taking hold of his hand and leading the now pouting President out of the room.

**.**

By the time Vincent and Laguna made their way downstairs, Squall had finished eating and was sitting in the lounge room reading through a pile of paperwork intently. He didn't even glance up at them as they passed and Laguna wasn't sure if he should be relieved or offended by his son's ignorance.

"Took you two long enough," Kiros commented as they entered the kitchen, opening the oven and pulling out two plates of pancakes that he'd put aside for them. Laguna sat down, grabbing the syrup and drowning his lunch as he watched Vincent walk over and pin Kiros against the sink.

"Thank you," Vincent purred before catching Kiros' lips in a kiss that was anything but platonic. Laguna felt himself harden at the sight of his two lovers, grinding against each other and completely forgot his lunch as he enjoyed the show. He was so distracted, that he was completely oblivious to the sound of the front door opening in the next room.

**.**

Cloud walked in the front door feeling great after working off all his aggression on the local monster population. He was still lost in thought, trying to work out how to explain to Vincent that he wanted to go with Squall to Garden and try out being a mercenary instead of going to Esthar. He knew his friend wasn't going to like the idea but he was determined to give it a try. Leaning his sword against the wall next to the door, he turned to come face to face with Squall who he hadn't even noticed was in the room.

"Hello, Squall," he blurted out, surprised by the young man's appearance. Squall smirked at him, tilting his head to one side as he looked him over in a way that made Cloud feel even more uncomfortable.

"Hello, Cloud," the Commander said softly. "Been out hunting, I see."

"Um…ah…yeah," Cloud replied, taking a step back only to bump against the closed door. Squall stepped forward, reaching a hand up to his face and Cloud tensed, sucking in a breath. Squall's smile only widened as he picked a stray leaf out of Cloud's hair and held it up between them.

"Had a leaf in your hair," he said in explanation as he stepped back. "Kiros is cooking lunch, if you're interested." Squall gestured towards the kitchen before turning and walking back to the sofa. Sitting back down, he returned to his paperwork without even glancing back.

Cloud slowly let out the breath that he was holding in, frowning as he walked towards the kitchen, trying to work out why Squall's proximity had effected him so. He looked up as he entered and was shocked to see Vincent devouring Kiros against the sink.

"Oh fuck!" he exclaimed in shock, his eyes going wide. Vincent released Kiros, turning to grin at him apologetically. "Um...I…," Cloud stuttered, wishing that he had stayed out hunting for another hour and avoided all of this.

"My apologies, Cloud. I did not hear you come home," Vincent drawled, moving to sit down at the table and smile at a now chuckling Laguna. Kiros turned back to the oven, pulling out yet another plate for Cloud and placing it on the table with an embarrassed look.

"Please sit down and have some lunch, Cloud. I hope pancakes are alright," he said, turning back to busy himself at the sink. Taking a moment to try and gather himself, Cloud eventually sat down looking at his plate and realizing he was a little hungry.

"Thanks, Kiros. They look great," he mumbled, looking up at Laguna as the President passed him the syrup.

"How was your morning?" the older man asked, smiling at him and ignoring the blush that Cloud could feel had turned his face red.

"Good, thanks," Cloud responded as he avoided Vincent's eyes. He was still a little pissed off at the gunman for last night but didn't want to discuss it with the two older men in the room. "Managed to find enough fiends to keep me busy."

Laguna nodded as he began to eat and the table fell into an uncomfortable silence for the rest of the meal. As they began to finish, Vincent turned to Cloud who was still busy trying to avoid eye contact with his friend.

"Cloud, would you mind coming for a walk with me? I fell there are things we need to discuss," he said, drawing Cloud's eyes to him. He nodded at his friend, standing and thanking Kiros before following him out the back door.


	10. Chapter 10

Vincent and Cloud walked in silence until they were out of sight of the house, choosing a random spot to stop as they both wrestled with what they wanted to say. Cloud had already decided that he wanted to go with Squall, give the mercenary life a try and see where it lead him. He was frightened of alienating Vincent with his decision as he didn't want to lose his only alley in this new world. While there was a chance that Squall could become a friend, being around the same age as him and they both being fighters, he still needed Vincent's friendship.

He couldn't name why or what it was exactly but the Commander of Seed made him uncomfortable and on edge. Vincent had always had the opposite effect on him and his nerves always seemed soothed by the older man's quiet comforting presence.

"Vincent?" he began, glancing over at his friend who was probably the closest thing to a father he would ever have in his life. "I've been thinking about what happened last night and my options here. I know I said before that I'd go with you to Esthar but I've been considering changing my mind." He stopped then, waiting to see how Vincent would react to his words.

The gunman wouldn't meet his eyes, instead staring off into the distance as he usually did when they discussed something important. Cloud had always thought that it was the older man's way of making him feel at ease, allowing him the privacy to force out words that didn't come easy with an intimidating gaze looking through his words.

"You've already made up your mind, haven't you, Cloud?" Vincent deep voice murmured back flatly. As always, the older man saw right through his attempts, seeing the truth clearly as if he had stated it out loud. Sighing the younger man broke off a strand of grass between his legs and let it slide between his fingers absently, watching it as the breeze carried it away.

"How do you feel about me going?" Cloud whispered. The older man turned towards him, something in his eyes that Cloud had never seen there before.

"I worry for your safety. There are dangers there that you are unprepared for," Vincent answered cryptically, making the younger man's eyebrows crease in a frown.

"Vincent, there are dangers everywhere and I'm far from helpless. Why the sudden concern for my safety? Is there something more that I should know about?" he questioned, looking into the other man's ruby eyes as he finally recognized the emotion held there. "Why are you so afraid that I won't be safe?"

Vincent held his gaze for a few seconds before looking away and standing up. Cloud got up too, stepping forward to move into the older man's line of sight.

"Vincent, answer my question. If there's something I should be warned about then please tell me. I can't be prepared for something I don't see coming," he said, his voice rising with his frustration. This was the first time the gunman had ever been evasive with him, as usually the older man was so straight forward that Cloud often was shocked by his lack of tact.

"Promise me you will never let your guard down around Squall," Vincent's deep voice whispered, so softly that even though he was facing the other man, Cloud nearly missed the words.

"Why? What did he do to you?" Cloud insisted, his eyes filling with concern. His mind was working overtime, trying to work out what the hell had happened between Vincent and the young Commander. Suddenly, the conversation from the night before flashed through his head, snippets of memory bursting forth to give him answers that he didn't want to believe and his face paled. Vincent flinched away from his eyes, as if he knew instantly what Cloud had only just put together.

"Vincent did he rape y…," Cloud's words where cut off by the older man's hand covering his mouth.

"Please don't say it," Vincent's voice whispered, so full of sadness that Cloud was left stunned, standing and watching in shock as the older man's body disappeared in a flash of red cloak to fly away across the fields of green.

**.**

Kiros looked at Laguna across the table in the kitchen, grinning as he watched his lover try and avoid going to talk to his son. Walking over towards the other man, who was intently trying to balance the salt shaker on the rim of his glass, he snatched up both objects to be met with Laguna's glare.

"Stop putting it off and just go and talk to him," he scolded, holding both items in his hands. "You always wanted to be a father to him. Time to revel in the joys of parenthood."

Sighing Laguna stood slowly from his chair, looking as if he was going to face a firing squad instead of the difficult young man that was his son. Kiros felt a stab of sympathy and reached forward to pull the soft hearted man into a hug, trying to show his support. Laguna hugged him back, sighing into his shoulder and making Kiros chuckle softy.

"I'm going for a walk to give you both your privacy. Just promise me you won't let it escalate, like last night," he said softly, pulling back to look into Laguna's blue eyes with a cheeky smile. Laguna rolled his eyes in response, mumbling something under his breath as he headed for the lounge room.

Kiros finished the dishes slowly, ensuring that Laguna didn't chicken out and come back. Eventually, he walked out the back door, stopping to take a deep breath and feel the cool breeze on his face. Continuing forward, he had just reached the crest of the first hill when he noticed Cloud far off to his right, walking back towards the house with his head down and Vincent nowhere in sight.

The urge to go and see why sprung up in his mind but he dismissed it. Cloud was a stranger to him and he didn't want to impose by sticking his nose in where it didn't belong. The young man and Vincent had been friends for years and if Kiros' help was needed, he was sure someone would ask for it. For once he wasn't in the middle of the drama and he planned to take a long walk and enjoy the peace while it lasted.

**.**

Laguna sat down on the sofa, waiting for Squall to acknowledge him. He watched the young man for a full fifteen minutes, his face frowning in concentration as he read through the stack of sheets in his hands, finally stopping to sign the last one and glance up at him.

"Dad, is there something you wanted?" Squall asked, his gaze meeting Laguna's.

"Remember when I came back this morning? I said we needed to talk and I thought we could do that now, if you're not too busy," Laguna said, looking at his son as his nerves twisted in his stomach. Squall sighed, putting down the piece of paper and leaning back in his chair.

"Whatever," he murmured softly. Laguna and Squall's eyes regarded each other, the older man trying to think of how to broach the subject of that night, while the younger man became restless by the wait. "Was there something in particular that you wanted to discuss?" Squall finally asked.

"We need to talk about last night…and about what happened with you and Vincent that night," Laguna mumbled, chewing on his bottom lip as he waited for his son's response. He knew that this conversation was well overdue but last nights events had forced him to stop pretending everything was okay and deal with the issues that were tearing his family apart.

**.**

"I wanted to apologize for losing my temper and upsetting you. That's why I was looking for you this morning," Squall ventured, decided that watching his father suffer wasn't as enjoyable as it used to be. "It was immature and disrespectful of me and I will try not to let it happen again." Laguna looked shocked at his words and Squall had to stifle the urge to chuckle. His father always did underestimate him.

"Thank you, Squall. I wanted to apologize to you too. I lost my temper and lashed out at you and I'm sorry. I just love you and Vincent so much and I hate to see both of you arguing with each other. I know that the chances of either of you ever getting along with each other are slim, but I can't help but wish for it." Squall smiled at his father, knowing that the President was being honest, as usual.

"I understand, Laguna but considering the circumstances, I doubt that Vincent and I will ever be friends. Maybe it's time that you accepted that," Squall responded, looking down at his hands.

In his mind, Squall would never forgive Vincent, knowing that he was the reason his father had drifted away and stopped calling him for all those long months. Vincent had somehow managed to turn Laguna's attention and love away from his son and focus it completely on himself, and for that Squall would never forgive him. Only this morning, Laguna had made him wait while he talked to Vincent, even having lunch with the bastard before he found the time to talk to Squall.

"I also understand that he is your priority now so I will understand if you no longer wish to see me. After all, I did survive without you for seventeen years, so I'm sure I'll be fine now," Squall murmured, still refusing to meet his father's eyes. So long he had wished for a father and when finally he'd received his wish, Vincent had appeared out of thin air to take it all away.

"Squall," Laguna whispered, suddenly beside him and kneeling on the floor. Laguna's hand gently took his face and turned it back to face him. "How can you say that? I'm your father and no matter what happens I will always love you and want you in my life. No matter who I am with, you are always my priority. I know that I've been a far from perfect father and that I didn't call you for a long time when I first met Vincent. You have to understand that it wasn't because I didn't love you anymore or because I didn't want you in my life anymore." Pausing to smile sadly, Laguna ran a hand through his hair before continuing.

"It had just been so long since anyone had wanted me like that and it was all so overwhelming at first. Then, when things calmed down, I was afraid of what you'd think of my relationship with Vincent. I tried to tell you, so many times but the words wouldn't come out and then I….fuck…well, honestly I was just a big fucking coward. I was worried that you'd hate me for loving another man and be embarrassed and humiliated by me. I was so scared of losing you that I ended up pushing you away. I'm so sorry, Squall," Laguna finished, releasing his son's face to sit back on his knees.

Squall kept his eyes on his father, thinking over everything the older man had said. Laguna had always been hopeless at keeping secrets and Squall had sensed that his father was holding something back on the rare occasion they had spoken during those months. Laguna also had no idea that Squall was bi-sexual, only ever knowing about his relationship with Rinoa so the older man had no idea that his son would accept his relationship.

Finally, the Commander realized that he had also, countless times, told his father that he was an embarrassment to him so everything that Laguna said slotted into place and made sense. He frowned as he began to understand how he had completely misread the situation, making assumptions based on his own insecurities and never even giving his father the chance to explain. Squall's thoughts spiraled as he realized that he had blamed Vincent for something that the man was not responsible for. Fuck…, he thought to himself, his eyes going wide, what have I done?

"I'm so sorry... I didn't realize… I mean I didn't understand… I thought he was turning you against me and I wanted you to hate him as much as I did… I wanted you back as my father," Squall stuttered out, looking at his father and for the first time it clicked just what he'd done in the name of revenge, just how low he'd sunk to hurt a man that he now knew had done nothing more than fall in love with his father.

Laguna opened his mouth to answer, but never got the chance. Cloud had walked in silently while both men were locked in conversation and had grabbed his sword from beside the front door. Striding up behind Laguna, he swung it directly at Squall who managed to throw himself to the side, just before the huge blade sliced the sofa in two. Yanking the blade out of the floorboards gave Squall the chance to stand up, Laguna also recovering from the shock enough to stand up between the two young men.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Laguna yelled, looking at the blonde with wide eyes. He was stunned by the venom that had enveloped those calm blue eyes, the colour darkening as Cloud glared past him, directly at Squall.

"I'm trying to kill that fucker! Get out of my way, Laguna," he growled, trying to step around Laguna who mirrored his moves to stay between the angry blonde and his son.

"Why do you want to kill my son?" Laguna demanded, taking a step back as the blade was leveled at him.

"I misjudged you, Cloud. I didn't see that you where a coward who would attack an unarmed man," Squall hissed from behind his father as he inched his way towards the stairs. If he could just get a little closer, he would have the chance to get his own blade from his room and then he'd be able to defend himself and his father from this lunatic.

"Call me what you will, but at least I'm not a fucking rapist!" Cloud snarled, kicking the coffee table over and out of his way as he prepared to launch another attack.

**.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Cloud, please!" Laguna yelled, trying desperately to get through to the irate blond. The young man's eyes were glowing with his rage, the unnatural fluorescence only adding to the intimidating sight of the warrior in full battle mode. "Do you think this is what Vincent wants? Don't you think if he wanted Squall dead, he already would be?"

Cloud's eyes flickered away from Squall's, resting on the President as the older man trembled and held his gaze. Laguna's question somehow got through his burning rage and made him pause in consideration. What exactly would Vincent want him to do? Why hadn't the gunman already put a bullet into the Commander of SeeD?

"Vincent wouldn't kill Squall because he's in love with you, Laguna. I don't have that problem," he finally hissed, wishing the older man would just get the fuck out of the way.

"Cloud, I know what he did was wrong. Gods, it was so, so very wrong. I love Vincent, and to find out what my own son had done nearly killed me," Laguna continued, pausing at how true his own words were. "But he's my son, Cloud. Honestly, the whole incident was my fault anyway. Everything that caused this, every step up to that point was my fault."

"It wasn't your fault. It was mine and mine alone," Squall cut in, making the blond's eyes swing back to him. Squall's eyes locked with Cloud's as he tried to gather his words. The Commander was never good with words, but right now his needed to be clear and concise. He had to somehow make Vincent's friend understand, despite the fact he'd only just begun to understand the situation himself. It was the least he could do...

"No, I've never been punished," Squall murmured, holding Cloud's eyes, even though he wanted to look away in shame. "But it's up to Vincent what my punishment should be, not you." He ignored Laguna's mumbled words of surprise, keeping his eyes on the blond.

Cloud scoffed before answering, his whole body still poised to attack. "He will never harm you because he loves Laguna. Besides, knowing him and how fucked up his reasoning is after Hojo and Lucrecia, he probably believes he did something to deserve it. To him, it would just be more penance, more punishment for his own sins." Cloud's anger flared even hotter at the thought and he stepped forward once more, clinging to his self control. "Vincent has already suffered so much for others' sins. An arrogant, selfish little prick like you could never understand what he's been through or his reasons for sparing you when you don't deserve it."

"You're right, I couldn't," Squall responded, knowing that if he'd bothered to just ask Laguna about Vincent when he'd discovered their relationship, none of this would have happened. "I have no excuse for what I did as there is no justification for my actions. I would only ask that you let me say what drove my actions and then you can judge me as you see fit. I understand that I don't deserve it, but could you wait, at least until Laguna can here from me why?"

Cloud stared at Squall, his mind trying to work out what the Commander was up to now. Flicking his eyes over to Laguna, he saw the older man's look of pain and saw his eyes, begging Cloud to stop. He couldn't promise the President he would stop, but he could at least let Laguna hear his son out. "Make it quick," he muttered, lowering his sword to the ground but keeping his stance ready.

"Dad…," Squall began, his words faltering as Laguna looked over and their eyes met. His father was in so much pain, so much hurt that was his fault. Taking a deep breath, the Commander steeled himself and began. "When you stopped calling every month, I got suspicious. When you did call, I could tell there was something you were hiding from me. I'd become used to your insistent affection and when it was gone…" Squall's words tapered off again as he couldn't verbally explain how he'd felt, the rejection too much for him to voice.

"I didn't know what to do. I should have just called you and asked you what was wrong, but instead I sent a SeeD agent to spy on you. He reported back that you had a bodyguard, someone that nobody had ever heard of, who just appeared out of nowhere and became your shadow. I knew you hated bodyguards, as I'd tried to make you hire one many times and you had insisted that it was unnecessary. I had the SeeD look into where Vincent came from and that's when I discovered that you'd brought him back from your holiday… and that his description matched the description of the creature that had come through the time flux and destroyed Odine's lab with his bare hands. You told me that it was dead but here he was, returning with you from your holiday and suddenly becoming your bodyguard. That, coupled with you distancing yourself from me, led me to believe that you were in danger."

"I still hesitated, wondering if there was some logical explanation, but then I got the news that Kiros was retiring at the end of the week. Leaving after all this time with no explanation and moving half way around the planet. Kiros would never leave you willingly. Without him there to watch over you…" Squall paused, running a hand through his hair. "I had to do something and that was when I decided to go to Esthar myself and try and work out what the hell was going on."

"My contacts informed me that you and Kiros had a meeting with a Galbadian official and I knew that was bullshit because there was no Galbadian officials in Esthar that week. I took a chance and had a video device set up in the conference room to record what happened between the two of you." Squall paused at the look of panic on his father's face.

"Y… you saw?" Laguna blurted out.

"Yes, I did. I also heard the whole conversation. Kiros was in love with you, you were in a relationship with Vincent and that was the reason he was leaving. Kiros then said something along the lines of, What if one of the demons he's carrying around in his head makes an appearance and destroys the city?"

"Fuck," Laguna whispered, his eyes falling to the floor.

Squall ignored his comment and continued. "I proceeded to drink as I tried to work out how to save you from the stranger with the demons in his head that could destroy whole cities. Unfortunately, we are all aware of the solution I came to."

Silence feel over the room as Squall's words hung in the air. "Why didn't you just try to kill him?" Laguna asked, looking back up into Squall's eyes.

"It was my first reaction, but I knew you would never forgive me, so I tried to come up with an alternative. I was far too intoxicated by the time my so called 'solution' came to mind and it seemed like a good alternative to drug him and make him think I was you. Afterwards, I realized the error of what I'd done, but by then it was too late. You had the video and I realized that you would end up hating me anyway."

"Enough," Vincent's deep voice interrupted from the kitchen. All three men turned to find the gunman standing in the doorway, looking back at them with a blank face. "I wish to speak to Squall alone." Both Cloud and Laguna didn't leave, the President taking a step closer to his son as Cloud lifted his sword again.

"Cloud, I said that is enough. I do not want Squall dead so stand down now or I will make you," he growled deeply, catching the blonde's eye and holding his gaze. A mixture of anger, hurt and confusion swam in Cloud's blue eyes, making Vincent soften his tone. "Please, my friend. I appreciate your intention but it is unnecessary. Allow me to handle this in my own way?"

Cloud growled in frustration, finally lowering his weapon and turning away from the other men in the room. "Fine… handle it you way. I'm going back to town," he muttered, leaving and slamming the front door on his way out.

Silence fell over the room until Vincent sighed, looking at Laguna sadly. "I will not harm him, love. I just wish to talk to him alone," he tried to explain. "Please, trust me in this?" Laguna's eyes darted from his son to Vincent, eventually running a hand through his hair as he slowly walked towards Vincent, his eyes pleading as he stayed silent. Vincent lifted a hand to cup his face, so very pissed off that again his lover had been thrust into the middle of a fight, his worry over the older man's health tweaking his protective instincts. "You look tired. If would ease my worry if you went and rested for awhile and I will join you shortly, alright?" Laguna simply nodded, turning and heading upstairs without looking back.

Vincent looked around at the mess of the room and decided it was no place to try and have such a difficult conversation. "Come with me," he said flatly, walking over towards the back door. Once they were outside Vincent glanced over, seeing the frown on the younger man's face and enjoying the fact that for once, Squall was the one uncomfortable and unsure.

No words were spoken while they walked and around five minutes later Vincent stopped to sit under a tree facing back towards Laguna's holiday house. It calmed him to still be able to see it, knowing that his lover was resting within its walls. The hills they had just crossed showed no sign of their passing, the long grass flowing in the wind like waves on the ocean in a hypnotic dance. Seeing the Commander out of the corner of his eye, standing a couple of meters away and staring at him brought Vincent back to the matter at hand. "Sit," he murmured, turning to face the young man as Squall complied and gracefully sunk to the grass.

"How much did you hear?" Squall asked softly, averting his eyes as he sat with his legs out in front, knees bent up and arms folded over them.

"Enough to get a different perspective," Vincent replied, looking over the Commander properly for the first time. Squall was so young, a child in many ways and yet he was the Commander of a whole organization of fighters. The gunman wasn't naïve and didn't think him any less of a threat because of his age. Rufus was of a similar age and so was Cloud, but it was a depressing thought that in this world too, childhood was so fleeting.

"I know words aren't enough but I wanted to apologize for my actions that night," Squall said, eyes coming up to met with Vincent's. "I have been avoiding dealing with this too long and you should be the one to decide on how I can make amends."

"There is no way to make amends. You can't take your actions back or take away the damage they have already done," Vincent said flatly, studying the young man's face to see if these were just words or true sentiments.

"Then… if I can't make amends, you should decide on a form of punishment. Something that will bring you justice," Squall quickly added, eyes still meeting Vincent's. He seemed to be sincere, even Chaos agreeing on his honesty inside of Valentine's mind. The fact the demon had suddenly decided to comment intrigued the gunman. Up until now, his demon had been silent whenever the Commander was around, apart from the odd taunt.

Why the sudden interest? I thought you were happy to sit back and be quiet, enjoying my suffering in this? Vincent asked the demon, looking away from Squall as if thinking over his request.

It bores me now, my vessel. Forgive the boy and move on. He is a fool, like all the young, and acted to protect his sire. At least his intentions were sound. I was aware that night and he did ensure we enjoyed it… rode us so beautifully with that tight little ass of his, Chaos replied, his words ending in laughter as Vincent scowled at his taunting.

"You don't have to forgive me. I understand that is asking too much. Just…," Squall began, Vincent cutting off his words.

"Just punish you? So, is this punishment to ease my hurt or is it to ease your guilt?" the gunman accused, turning back to Squall.

We could punish him, vessel. Hold him down and sink into his body, make him cry and beg us to stop. Would his tears be the same as our heart's or our ebony beauty's? Would he scream or bite his lip to hold in the sounds? Chaos ranted, making Vincent put a hand up to his forehead as he tried to block out the voice and sudden images that accompanied it.

"Are you alright?" Squall asked, making Vincent glance over towards him.

"Yes, just a headache," the gunman muttered, rubbing his temples and sighing.

"It's your demons, isn't it?" the Commander continued, voice a little unsure now, his previous confidence lacking. "Do they… can they hear everything that happens around you?"

"Yes," Vincent mumbled, squeezing his eyes closed as Chaos tried to force his way up to the surface, the demon wanting to talk to Squall in person. "Enough!" Vincent hissed, managing to suppress the outbreak for now.

"Do they want to kill me?" Squall said softly, eyes showing concern when Vincent looked up to met them.

"No. Chaos is not that direct," the gunman murmured, sighing as mental pictures continued to flash up in his mind of Squall, naked and on his hands and knees in the long grass. "He is more sadistic in his wants."

Squall was quiet then, frowning in thought for a few minutes before finally continuing. "Why didn't they appear that night?" he asked, eyes darting down to the grass.

"Chaos is the dominate one and controls the rest… and his sadism extends to me as well," Vincent muttered, leaning back against the trunk of the tree behind him. Squall stayed silent then, seemingly mulling over the conversation as Vincent ignored Chaos' continued picture show and thought over the young man's words.

What the youth had said to Laguna in the house made sense to Valentine… his reasoning and actions up to drugging the gunman all driven by a desire to protect his father. As much as he hated what had happened that night, in his own mind it was still Laguna he saw when he recalled the fragments of what he remembered and the hurt was more of a throwback from his helplessness under Hojo's hands than as a direct result of Squall's actions. The sudden clarity of it all silenced Chaos, much to Vincent's relief.

"I forgive you," Vincent said softly, staring out over the hills at Laguna's house and imagining his lover inside, sleeping peacefully. "I don't want to punish you. I just want this whole incident to be over."

The silence following his statement stretched on, a few random bird calls the only interruption. Finally, Squall shuffled where he sat, turning towards Vincent and uttering a soft, "Thank you." Vincent simply nodded in recognition, letting the peace of the moment wrap around him and the breeze blow his urge for revenge away.


	12. Chapter 12

Laguna watched Vincent and Squall walking away from the house, waiting until they were some distance away before he sneaked out the front door and made his way into town. He couldn't help but pause in front of the pub, old memories making his heart clench in his chest. Walking inside was almost surreal, the man behind the bar out of place when Laguna was so used to seeing Raine there. It didn't matter how many years had passed. To him, this would always be her place.

"Can I help you?" the bartender asked, jolting Laguna out of his thoughts and making him realize that he'd been staring.

Eyes darting away nervously, the President finally managed to mumble out, "Ah, I'm looking for a friend of mine, Cloud. I believe he has a room here?"

At the mention of Cloud's name, the bartender's expression changed from curiously friendly to suspicious. "He's in room 4. Up the stairs and to the right."

Laguna nodded, giving a quick thanks before he headed up the stairs. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Cloud, knowing all too well what it was like to live somewhere that you weren't welcome. What the hell is it with these people anyway? he mused to himself. Small towns just have too many small minds. Well, at least nobody recognized me as the President of Esthar… or as the no good mooch who used to be married to the previous bar owner.

He was trying to decide which would be worse, when he came to the top of the stairs and stopped, taken back by the change to the second floor. Where there was once a large, open room with a bedroom and bathroom off the side, there was now a wall directly in front of him and a hallway to the right. Looking down the hall, he could see four doors, two on each side, and a fifth door at the end of the hallway that had a sign on the front saying bathroom. It was like his memory had been desecrated and he hated it. The rooms themselves must be tiny and he didn't even want to think about what his former wife would think of the blatant discarding of comfort in favor of profit.

Pushing his disgust to the back of his mind, he approached Cloud's door and stopped, running a hand through his hair nervously. He'd come here to try and help, maybe comfort Cloud, but now that he was here, all ideas of what to say to the young man fled his mind. The blond seemed so isolated and it pulled at Laguna's heartstrings. Nobody should have to feel like that, especially somebody that Vincent considered to be family.

He was worried that Cloud wouldn't let him in or want to talk to him since he'd been so angry but with Vincent off talking to Squall, there was nobody to go after the blond but Laguna. Somehow, he wanted to be there for him but was worried his attempts might only cause the youth to get angrier and he really didn't want to find himself at the wrong end of Cloud's sword again. Seriously, the thing was friggin' huge.

The door in front of him opened suddenly, leaving Laguna gaping like a demented goldfish as he failed to find any words to say. Cloud looked surprised at first, but then his expression changed to one of slight amusement as one blond eyebrow rose. "Well, are you going to come inside or stand out here all day? I promise not to point my sword at you, if that helps," Cloud murmured, turning away to walk back into the room while Laguna tried to pull himself together.

"Ah… um…. I'm sorry," Laguna mumbled, stepping into the room tentatively and stopping just inside.

"Shut the door?" Cloud asked, sitting down on the edge of the bed and frowning down at the floorboards.

Laguna did as he was asked and when he turned around, Cloud motioned to one of two chairs next to a small table on one side of the room. Taking a seat, the older man's eyes darted around, noticing that apart from the bed and small table and chairs, there was no other furniture in the room. There seemed to be a built in cupboard on one wall and a small window, but there definitely wasn't even a bathroom. Laguna realized that all four rooms must share the bathroom in the hallway and he almost flinched at the thought. Maybe he'd been spoilt by being the President for so long, but communal bathrooms were akin to substandard living in his mind.

"Look, I know why you're here and you're wasting you time. I can't just forgive your son, even if Vincent seems determined to," Cloud suddenly said, pulling Laguna from his thoughts.

"Oh, I'm not here for that," he answered, causing the blond to look up at him. "I just… well, you were really upset and I… well, I wanted to make sure you were alright and offer to listen if you wanted to talk. Not that you have to talk to me or anything. I know you don't know me and an old fart like me is probably the last person you want to talk to but I thought… well, I thought maybe I'm better than nothing."

Cloud's eyes had widened as he'd spoken, making Laguna's nerves run riot which in turn made him ramble on more than he'd intended to. "It's okay if you just want to be alone or something. Just say the word and I'll go," he added, hoping that he wouldn't be thrown out just yet.

"No, it's… okay," Cloud responded, voice so soft Laguna only just heard it as the youth eye's dropped to the floor once more. The blond nervously clenched his hands together and Laguna smiled, realizing that Cloud was as nervous and uncomfortable as he was.

"I… well, I want you to know that you're not alone anymore. You're family to Vincent, which makes you family to me too. It's normal for family to have disagreements and to get angry at each other, but it's also normal for us to be there for each other and to go after each other when somebody leaves angry," Laguna continued, smiling nervously when Cloud's eyes met his. "I'm not the best with words, but I am good at listening."

**.**

"Honestly, I'm not much of a talker," Cloud responded. When he noticed a look of disappointment flash over Laguna's face, he quickly added, "But I appreciate the offer. Maybe we could talk about what options I have to get out of this town." He was relieved when Laguna brightened up at his words although it mystified him why it was suddenly so important to keep this man happy.

"This town… it's not right for you. I once lived here too and it wasn't right for me either," Laguna began, gazing towards the window. "It's not that they are bad people. They're just afraid of anything different or anything they don't understand. Being so secluded from the rest of the world makes the list of what they don't understand rather long though."

Cloud had to smile at the man's diplomatic way of putting it. "You didn't fit in here?" he asked, surprise clear on his face.

"Oh, hell no. They hated me," Laguna muttered. "Nothing I did was ever good enough and they spent the whole time I was here trying to talk my wife into getting rid of me. Not that she was my wife when I first came here. I never thought she'd accept my proposal with what a pariah I was and all, but she did and we were happy for awhile before the soldiers came and took Ele away."

Cloud watched as Laguna fell silent, obviously lost in memories. He was curious as to what had happened to ruin Laguna and his wife's happiness, but he didn't feel comfortable asking the older man about it now. There seemed to be a lot of pain involved, so he decided to try and change the subject, making a mental note to ask Vincent about what had happened later.

"Are there any other options for someone with my skills other than working at Garden?" Cloud asked, his question pulling Laguna out of his thoughts. The older man smiled but the blond could still see sadness in his eyes.

"I know you don't want to work with Squall, but there is more than one Garden. As the Commander of SeeD, he is based in Balamb Garden, but there is also Trabia Garden and Galbadia Garden. While Galbadia is mostly a training centre for the Galbadian army, Trabia is much the same as Balamb, but it specializes in weapons development as well as training students. You could lodge there and work as a contractor, assisting the SeeD with missions or even just working solo missions. You could even work as a teacher, training students in swordplay or tactics maybe."

Cloud frowned, thoughts of Squall making his shoulder's tighten in aggravation once more. Even if the Commander wouldn't be in the same centre as him, Squall would still technically be his boss and that thought made him more than a little uncomfortable.

Laguna seemed to notice his unease and quickly added, "But if you don't feel comfortable with any of that, you could just come to Esthar with us. I could always use another bodyguard, or you could work as a contractor for me, keeping the monster population outside of the city down. We'd love to have you and there's more than enough room in the Presidential Palace. Hell, you can pick whatever room you like and take as much time as you need working out what you want to do."

Cloud nodded, liking the second option far more than the first. "I think, for now, I'd like to see Esthar. Maybe look into all my options further and get more information before I decide. I don't want to be a burden though, so if I could do some contract work for you culling monsters, or anything else that comes up that you might need…."

"That would be excellent," Laguna exclaimed, smile bright as he gazed at Cloud. "I know Vincent will be very pleased to be able to spend more time with you and maybe, you and I can get to know each other better too. Oh, I should probably warn you about the press though. The Estharian media are a bunch of rabid dogs. Once they see a new face in the palace, all the gossip magazines will be pairing you up with everyone, or making out you're some kind of relative to one of us. Don't take any of it seriously though. It's just their way of entertaining the public. Honestly, you should see the crap they wrote about Vincent. It was hilarious. One magazine was spinning the story he was Kiros' lover, another had him down as spy and a third was even trying to push that he was another long lost son of mine. My personal favorite was one that insisted he was actually a vampire who had put me under his spell. I kept a copy of that one, although I had to hide it from Vincent as he kept trying to throw it out on me."

Cloud stared, Laguna's words repeating in his head and leaving him gaping at the older man. Back home, nobody would ever dare to publish rumors such as those, knowing that the Turks would end their lives for slandering the President. He couldn't believe Laguna was so blasé about all the gossip and did nothing to stop it, even finding it funny.

"What kind of a President are you?" Cloud blurted, a blush blooming on his cheeks when he realized that what he'd just said was really rather rude. Laguna looked a little shocked at first, but then the older man started laughing.

"Yeah, I get that a lot. Even Kiros asks me that one at least once a month," Laguna finally murmured with a shrug. "I suppose, I'm not like most leaders, trying to make others bow to my will and threatening anyone who doesn't toe the line but maybe that's why the people of Esthar wanted me. They'd had a hard time with tyrannical leaders for years before I came along. Letting the media have freedom to print whatever they like keeps me honest and builds more trust with the public. So far, I've been re-elected six times, which means I must be doing something right."

Cloud smiled, unable to stop himself under the eyes of this strange but charismatic man. "I'm sorry if that question sounded rude. The President back home is on the opposite side of the personality scale to you. I… I suppose I've become biased, thinking that all Presidents are the same as him." He shrugged a little, wanting to be more clear but finding the right words hard to come by. "Honestly, Laguna, I hated our President back home so I'm glad you're nothing like him." Laguna blushed and looked away at the indirect compliment. Cloud chuckled at how… well, cute the older man was, internally amazed that this man had been the cure to Vincent's half a lifetime of angsting and self hatred. He did have to admit though, it was near impossible to mope around this man no matter how much one tried.

A silence fell over the room, Cloud trying to think of something to say as he watched Laguna fiddle with the hem of his shirt. "So… I suppose if Vincent is the closest thing to a father I've ever had, that would make you my…," he began, words tapering off as he stopped himself from calling Laguna his new mother. Insulting the older man once in a conversation was bad enough.

"Step mother?" Laguna added anyway, smiling at the blond. "I'd be honored if you thought of me that way, although I'm not gonna wear a dress for you. Gods, I wouldn't even wear one for Vincent when he asked, so there's no way I'd wear one for you."

Cloud started laughing and Laguna blushed, apparently a little slow to realize what he'd just said. "Sorry for too much information there. Unfortunately, that's one of my worst flaws, or so I'm told," the older man mumbled, hand back threading through his hair once more as his eyes darted away to the side.

Cloud noted the nervous habit, adding it to what he already knew of Vincent's partner. While he might still be angry with Squall, he couldn't help but be happy with his friend's choice of partner. Laguna's honesty and the child like aspects of his personality gave him a kind of innocence and Cloud could see how Vincent could be taken in by that. It was a rare thing to find in any adult back home. Here too, if the townspeople were anything to go by.

"Okay, well, now that I've cheered you up and horrified you with details about Vincent and my relationship that you never wanted to know, I have something to ask you," Laguna said, face suddenly serious as he looked up at Cloud. "Would you please come and stay with us for the remainder of our time here in Winhill?"

**.**

Squall had returned to the house, leaving Vincent to investigate the surrounding landscape alone. Chaos was encouraging him towards a nearby forest and Vincent was curious enough to give in to his demon's wishes at first, slowly making his way through the trees and enjoying the solitude and beauty that surrounded him.

As he traveled deeper into the trees, he tried questioning Chaos on what was here that interested him, but he received no answers to his queries, just the constant urge to continue. Vincent tried to stop walking, frustrated with Chaos' refusal to answer him and the slight pull suddenly became stronger, making him gasp in shock as his body refused to obey his commands. The gunman's attempts to regain control were fruitless, Chaos chuckling at his panicked thoughts as his body continued to make its way through the forest without his permission.

Vincent noticed the sound of running water in the distance and looked around nervously, still able to direct his line of his vision, if nothing else. His head was aching from the strain of trying to fight Chaos' control and his mind was running a mile a minute as he tried to work out what the hell was going on. A few minutes later he found himself in a clearing, his eyes darting over the waterfall and small creek that ran through the center of the area.

He felt another presence and turned, eyes widening at the sight of Kiros, frozen to the spot only a few meters away. The look of fear in the dark man's eyes confused him and when he tried to speak, no words came. Vincent felt his lips curve into a smirk that wasn't his and his vision began to blur. The last thing he saw before he fell into darkness was the look of hopeless resignation on Kiros' face.

**.**


	13. Chapter 13

Kiros awoke slowly, the sound of water flowing nearby soothing him slowly out of sleep. He was warm and comfortable as he shifted on to his back, breathing in deeply. The scent of Vincent was all around him and he began to smile a little before suddenly his memory kicked in.

Chaos...

Eyes opening quickly, he sat up too fast, his head spinning a little as his eyes darted around the clearing in the forest. Perched on a rock on the bank of the creek, only a few meters away, was Vincent Valentine... or Chaos. Kiros couldn't be sure which consciousness was in control as the gunman's face was turned away from him as he, or it, intently studied the water flowing past.

Kiros took the opportunity to look down at himself, noticing that Vincent's tattered red cloak was wrapped around him, and under it, he was completely naked. He couldn't see his clothes anywhere, although as he thought back over what had occurred, he realized that there probably wasn't much left of them anyway.

Trying to ignore the way his body trembled from those memories despite the fact he didn't feel cold, Kiros was surprised to find that he had no injuries and was clean. It was an anomaly that gave him no comfort as he pulled the cloak tighter around himself and tried to push those memories down.

This time had been so very different.

The first time Chaos had seemed to only accidentally hurt him during sex, as if it had lost control of its strength in the heat of the moment. Kiros had been allowed to prepare himself first and afterwards there had been only a few bruises, a small scratch or two, and the soreness of being taken too enthusiastically. Kiros had shrugged the minor injuries off. He could take it and it was a small price to pay for Chaos' cooperation.

This time there had been no preparation and the demon had just thrown him to the ground and taken what it wanted. Chaos had enjoyed hurting him, a particular memory of that gold claw leaving bloody lines over his chest as the demon smiled, came forward in his mind, making Kiros trail a hand over the now healed flesh.

He had been such a fool to think he could handle the demon on his own. His reasons for making the deal weren't even completely pure, if he was totally honest with himself. Protecting Laguna and keeping Vincent with them had been the driving force behind the decision, but a part of him had loved the fact that the demon had wanted him, above all others.

He'd never been desired like that by anyone before.

It wasn't that Laguna and Vincent ever treated him like he wasn't wanted. They never excluded him and did everything possible to include him equally in the strange relationship they'd all formed together. He loved them both for it but he couldn't help but remember the fact that they'd been a couple first and a part of him always felt like they'd included him, at first anyway, from a sense of pity.

Without him, they would still have been happily together and a part of him was beginning to feel like he deserved this for getting in the way with his own love for Laguna and desire for Vincent. Considering Chaos' attraction to Kiros, it wasn't too much to imagine that maybe Vincent only desired him at all because of the influence the demon had over him. As for Laguna, he knew the man well enough to know that he'd do anything to keep those he considered family close by. Maybe Laguna had welcomed him into the relationship only to keep him from leaving, rather than from any real love for him. That was almost worse than having to endure seeing Laguna together with Vincent while he continued to endure his own unrequited love for the man.

Sighing, Kiros rubbed a hand over his face, trying to get a grip on the present and stop the train of thought that he was spiraling into. This wasn't the time to ponder the doubts darkening his mind as he couldn't afford to fall apart, not now.

The form sitting over on the rock could be either Chaos or Vincent and he had to work out which it was, and quickly. Both would take drastically different methods to deal with and he needed to be fully alert to either avoid more harm from Chaos or try and explain his current state to Vincent without giving away the truth.

A part of him was hoping it was still Chaos, despite the threat of more harm that would entail. If it was Vincent, how was he going to work out just how much the gunman already knew? Had Chaos kept Vincent asleep during the... incident, and if he had, just when had the gunman regained consciousness? Was it Vincent that had cleaned him up and healed his injuries or Chaos? Without knowing the parameters he was working with, how could he even begin to think up a believable lie to cover this all up?

***.***

Squall had gone in search of his father as soon as he'd entered the house, but had found no trace of him anywhere. He'd been both relieved and disappointed to find Laguna absent, as a part of him didn't want to deal with any more of the fallout of his own mistake, while another part of him just wanted it all over and finalized.

Deciding to keep himself busy as he awaited his father's return, Squall retrieved his gunblade and a small case of cleaning supplies from his room and took them to the kitchen, laying the weapon on the table with a gentle reverence that he showed to little else in his life. Lion Heart didn't really need to be cleaned, but he found that polishing the blade always calmed him and right now he could use all the soothing activity he could get.

This morning's conflict had upset him far more than he wanted to admit, even to himself. Squall hated making mistakes, and to fuck up so badly while trying to protect his father only added to the shame he was feeling. He'd nearly lost Laguna because of what he'd done and that fear of being all alone again sat in his stomach like a dead weight, even now.

Sighing, he began polishing the blade with the special oil he carried wherever he went, the cloth he kept specifically for the task already smelling strongly of the special mixture. His actions soon became automatic as his mind wandered back to Vincent, remembering the strength of the attachment the gunman had shown towards Laguna that night. Squall still felt a pain in his chest every time he remembered it.

It might be a naive and childish desire, but he couldn't help but yearn to be loved like that. Rinoa had loved him in a way, but it had been a tentative and innocent love, one that he'd never been able to return or appreciate at the time. Squall had always felt too jaded and tainted to ever accept something so pure and fragile. He'd assumed all love would be the same and as he'd broken his ties with the young freedom fighter, and watched her move on to other relationships, he'd closed off his heart and decided love just wasn't for him.

Vincent's intense, almost overwhelming desire for Laguna had been an eye opener for Squall and he was still trying to come to terms with the whole range of emotions it had triggered in him.

It wasn't that he desired Vincent, he just wanted to experience a love like that for himself.

Dropping the polishing cloth onto the table, Squall looked over the blade before placing it back on the table gently. He could sit here all day making wishes like a child but there was little point to it. No matter how much he wanted all of these things, he was realistic enough to know that his own shortcomings probably meant he would never achieve anything close to it.

With another sigh he stood up from the table and walked out into the lounge room, deciding to clean up the mess from the argument this morning to work off a little of the restless energy that had built up.

Just looking at the remains of the sofa made him smile, memories of the feisty blond wanting to kill him making him remember just how much passion had been in those big, blue eyes. He would usually be angry after such an altercation, at least annoyed if nothing more, but he was beginning to realize that when it came to Cloud Strife, his reactions were never going to be normal.

As Squall began to drag bits of the sofa out the back door, he realized that Cloud's difficult nature was exactly what made him such an appealing proposition, at least to him anyway. Passion could be redirected and just imagining what it would be like to experience that kind of intensity in the bedroom had Squall pausing in his work to readjust his pants. He'd always loved a challenge and what would be more challenging than trying to win over someone that hated you? At least he had nothing to lose by trying.

***.***

Cloud didn't know what to say to Laguna. The older man was so insistent, wanting him to come and stay at the house, and as eager as he was to cut his ties to Winhill, he still hesitated. The whole problem of Squall was something he was still wrestling with, the urge to end the young man's life for what he'd done to Vincent having not lessoned with time.

"Laguna, if you want me to come and stay at your house, you're going to have to explain to me why you forgave Squall for what he did to Vincent," he finally murmured, not able to meet the older man's gaze. "I can't stay in the same house as him as things stand now."

Laguna chewed on his bottom lip, not wanting to speak of the incident as it brought so many painful emotions up to the forefront of his mind. He realized though, the more he thought about it, that it was only fair to Cloud to answer his questions, no matter how difficult it was to talk about.

"You heard Squall's side of things at the house. Most of that was my fault, because I had only just managed to start building a relationship with Squall when Vincent arrived. It was delicate and when I started avoiding him to be with Vincent, it fell apart. I didn't tell him about Vincent because I was afraid of what he'd think of me, afraid he would just shut me out again, but by lying to him and pushing him away, I just caused the whole misunderstanding in the first place," Laguna began, trying to line up all the facts in his own overemotional mind.

"I know Squall did what he did to drive a wedge between Vincent and me, so that he would get my attention and affection back. That is my fault. If I hated Squall for it, I'd be the world's greatest hypocrite because all I'd ever wanted in the past was for Squall to want me as a father. He finally does, so much so that he'd do such a thing to keep me. How can I possibly hate him for that?"

"But he raped your lover. How can you forgive that? Even if the reasoning is justified, the act in itself is inexcusable," Cloud insisted, eyes raising to meet the President's.

"Squall did drug Vincent and lead him back to an apartment room and pretend to be me. He didn't, however, hurt Vincent physically or force himself on him. Vincent thought he was making love to me the whole time and Squall simply stepped into the fantasy and let himself be taken by Vincent. Yes, he filmed it and sent me a copy to try and make me hate Vincent for being unfaithful with my son. His intent in the moment was callous and cruel. He was intoxicated when he decided to do all of this though, and while he carried it out. I truly believe that if he'd been sober, he'd never of done it in the first place," Laguna tried to explain, looking pleadingly at the blond before him.

"Cloud, he's never done anything like this before, not ever in his whole life. He grew up so alone and with no parental guidance and he still managed to be a good man, one who was willing to give his life to save the world. I know he's not perfect and what he did to Vincent was horrible and misguided, but he does regret it now and I really, honestly believe that it will never happen again."

Cloud looked away, trying to decide what to say. He hadn't known this had all occurred while Squall was drunk. He was also surprised that Squall had pretended to be Laguna and apparently, from what Laguna had inferred, bottomed as well. Usually with rape, the perpetrator topped, taking from the victim with little thought to any harm they caused. It didn't fit into what he saw as a typical rape but it was still rape, technically. Vincent hadn't wanted to have sex with Squall and had been drugged and tricked into the encounter. The details confused him and the more he thought about it, the more confused he became.

"He pretended to be you and bottomed for Vincent?" he finally asked, ignoring his own embarrassment at the question as the need to be sure of the details took over. Looking up at Laguna, he saw the older man's face redden but didn't relent.

"Yes. If he had just drugged Vincent and forced himself on him, I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive him," Laguna murmured, eyes darting away to the side. "Look, I know that's not an excuse and he forced Vincent, irrelevant of who topped and who bottomed, but I believe that the fact he bottomed showed that he didn't do it just to hurt Vincent. He did it to create the video that he hoped would end my relationship with someone he perceived to be a threat. I have to look at the intent behind the act to judge it properly."

"Squall isn't like most people. He's grown up as a soldier from a young age, with his only goals being to achieve his mission objectives above all else. In his twisted thought process, this would have been just another means to an end," Laguna finally added, turning back to meet Cloud's eyes again. "That's how I rationalize it. It is probably unfair and you may judge me as you please for the way I think, but that's the truth of it. I do love Vincent, more than I can ever express in words to you. I love my son too. I don't want to lose either of them."

Cloud let out a breath, eyes turning towards his hands as he tried to process all the information. Did it really make it better that Squall had bottomed instead of forcing himself on Vincent? Truthfully, in his own mind, he had to admit that it did. A part of him still insisted that feeling that way was wrong, but he couldn't help it. If Squall's intent had been completely malicious, and harming Vincent his only goal, surely he would have just drugged the gunman until he couldn't resist and taken him. Laguna's reasoning that Squall had slipped into a kind of soldier mode while intoxicated, and the whole attack had been nothing more than a twisted kind of mission, did begin to make sense to him.

Scowling, Cloud regretted ever asking for more details as he wished he could just feel angry again and not all of these conflicting emotions that were bombarding him.

"Alright. I'll come and stay at the house with you," he finally said softly, putting up a hand to stop Laguna when the older man opened his mouth to speak. "But I want to speak to Vincent again and make sure he's really as okay with this as he's making out. There are things in his past that would have made this worse for him than for other people. Has he told you about Professor Hojo yet?"

"Not in detail," Laguna admitted, the smile that had bloomed on his face from Cloud's acceptance, falling away. "I know he was... well, killed by him, then brought back to life by having demons put inside of him. He was also experimented on extensively and I know about his son too. Vincent has never told me details of exactly what he went through under that madman's torture though."

Cloud nodded, not surprised that Vincent hadn't opened up completely. He, himself, had never told anyone exactly what had been done to him. Some of the horrors that occurred in Hojo's laboratory were things a victim might never say out loud, as they were just too painful to relive.

"I'm not going to tell you either, but I can say that I spent a number of years in one of Hojo's labs as well. I don't think what was done to me was as extensive as what was done to Vincent, solely because Hojo had a personal grudge against Vincent. That said though, I can say that if somebody drugged me and did anything too me against my will, I would be traumatized afterwards, simply because it would be too much like what happened on a daily basis in the labs. You need to watch Vincent carefully and expect him to have trouble dealing with this, more so than another person would. He will hide it though, as that is his way."

Laguna nodded, looking thoughtful for a moment. "I didn't even think of that, so thank you for pointing it out. Vincent does seem to be over it all, but I will be more careful in the future... and I'll stop with the attempts to push the two of them together."

Cloud managed to pull up a small smile for Laguna. "I'm glad he has you to look out for him."

Laguna smiled back, but there was sadness in his eyes. "I'm sorry you were hurt by that man too. If you ever need to talk about it... or...," Laguna paused, hand going back to his hair as he shifted nervously in his seat. "Well, if you ever need anything at all really, just say the word. I want to be there for you too, even if I don't always know what to do or say."

"Thanks, mum," Cloud said softly, smile widening as he watched Laguna's expression go from shock to amusement.

"I'm going to regret saying I'm your stepmother, aren't I?" the older man chuckled.

"Especially when I tell Vincent," Cloud teased, laughing at Laguna's pleas to not tell before standing up and gathering his belongings.


	14. Chapter 14

Vincent could hear Kiros behind him, but he didn't turn around. He was paralyzed with indecision over how to proceed, his mind a whirl of self hate and guilt that he was tempted to just drown in... but he owed his lovers so much more than that.

Cowardice was not an option this time. There was no basement, no coffin in which to hide himself away from the world, no preventing his demons from harming innocents this time. The harm had already been done and now he had to... had to... had to what?

There was no way to make up for what had happened, no way to turn back time and prevent this. Apologizing would be horrendously insufficient, the words more of an insult than a recompense of any kind. What his body had done could not be forgiven with pretty turns of phrase or contrite appeals for forgiveness. There could be no forgiveness because as much as Vincent regretted what had happened, it would happen again.

He didn't know what had changed with his transfer to this place and why his control over Chaos had disappeared. He had awoken during the attack on Kiros to find himself trapped in his own body, only able to watch as his lover was brutalized by his own hands. No matter how hard he had fought, screaming in frustration and despair, he hadn't been able to even make Chaos twitch. Dreams of grasping some sort of normality from life, of living with Laguna and Kiros and being loved... all of it had been washed away and only cold, hard reality remained.

Chaos had to be stopped and there was only one option. There were no old laboratories to search here in this world, no years of research to look through for alternative solutions. Chaos could awaken from where it had withdrawn to at any moment and destroy whatever it pleased. Vincent could not allow it and somehow, he had to convince Kiros quickly that the time for mercy was past. While his demons would rise up and stop him from taking his own life, he could stay calm enough to not alert them while another pulled the trigger.

The others would manage without him, after all.

Vincent knew Laguna and Kiros would take Cloud in, see him as family and ensure he was safe and looked after. Yes, the blond would be angry at Vincent and hurt, but that would fade with time and Cloud would move forward, as he always did.

Laguna would not handle it so well and the thought of how much pain the gentle man would feel made Vincent's chest ache. He didn't want to hurt Laguna but if he didn't put an end to this, Chaos would do so much more than just break the other man's heart. Besides, Laguna had Kiros to support and love him now, so he would not be alone. As for Kiros... well, Vincent doubted the man behind him would miss the one that had betrayed his trust and hurt him so badly. In time, Kiros may forgive him, but right now Vincent could use the betrayal and hatred Kiros must feel to end the threat his existence had become.

At least in death, Vincent would not have to endure his own broken heart. It was a selfish thought, but he knew that his life would be worthless without Laguna and Kiros. They had given him a taste of paradise, and for that, he would be eternally grateful.

Vincent hopped down from his rocky perch to stand on the grass with his eyes downcast. He walked towards Kiros, feeling the other man's fear like a led weight in his soul, every step he took heavy and overburdened with regret. Stopping a few paces short of his lover's cowering body, Vincent reached for his gun and pulled it from its holster, tossing it to the ground near Kiros.

"End me now, before Chaos regains control. It is your only option if you wish to protect Laguna... and your world," Vincent murmured, meeting Kiros' fearful eyes and refusing to look away. As his lover reached out and placed a hand over the weapon, Vincent closed his eyes, no longer able to witness how much despair he had caused Kiros. "I will always love you and Laguna, and I thank you both for the time you gave to me... for loving one so unworthy."

***.***

Kiros could only gape at Vincent, his brain having trouble processing what was being said in his present state of shock. His hands lifted his lover's gun slowly and held it aloft like an offering, Kiros too disturbed to let his fingers anywhere near the handgrip or trigger. His lover dropped to his knees, eyes still closed and arms hanging loosely by his sides.

"Kiros, you must do this. My life is meaningless when compared to all that will be lost with Chaos unrestrained. There may never be another chance to take advantage of my demons' slumber. Aim for my head and at this range there will not be enough left to regenerate. Forgive me for asking this of you, but time runs short and this is our only option," Vincent continued, the urgency in his voice only making Kiros shake more.

He could not do this.

A sudden swirl of magic surrounded the gunman before him, and for a moment Kiros feared it was Chaos' return. He dropped the gun and shuffled backwards in panic only to realize that there was no blackness, only an icy blue-white.

Vincent's eyes flew wide open in stunned surprise, before falling closed as the gunman collapsed onto his side in the grass, cold mist laying like a blanket over him. Kiros stared, finally looking up past his lover's body to find Squall standing at the other end of the clearing, Shiva's luminescent form hovering in the air between them. The beautiful summon smiled sadly at Kiros before closing her eyes and dissipating, Squall's arm falling back to his side as she disappeared.

"You... you killed him?!" Kiros blurted out, heart beating too fast as he fought to breath past the tight constriction in his chest.

"No," Squall replied, walking closer to stop by Vincent's side. Kiros followed the young man's gaze and suddenly saw Vincent's chest rising and falling slowly, life still within his frozen form. "Shiva will keep him unconscious and contained for the time being."

"B-but... how did you... why are you here?" Kiros was so relieved that Vincent still lived that he had completely forgotten about how he looked. He didn't even notice Squall's curious look over his body, noticing Valentine's cloak was the only thing covering his modesty.

"I saw you headed this way earlier and I wanted to talk," Squall began, Kiros looking up to meet the young man's gaze. "I overheard what Vincent said and saw his gun in your hands. I judged it better to incapacitate him immediately."

Kiros nodded, finally noticing his own bare chest as a shiver passed through him. Adjusting the material, he pulled it back up and around his shoulders, unable to meet Squall's intense eyes. He knew the youth was waiting for an explanation, but he couldn't force the words to come, so much having happened too quickly.

"I'm calling Laguna," Squall finally muttered, turning away and pulling his phone from his pocket. As the Commander walked away to speak into the device, Kiros crawled a little closer to Vincent, but didn't reach out to touch him. He couldn't take his eyes off his lover's face, looking so deceptively peaceful in its frozen slumber.

***.***

Laguna was whistling away to himself as he brewed some fresh coffee, feeling cheered now that he'd managed to talk Cloud into coming back. The young blond had gone up to drop his things in the guestroom, and would be back in a moment so they could talk some more. Laguna really liked Cloud and the more he talked to the youth, the more he realized how gentle his nature really was underneath the tough warrior exterior. Cloud seemed to be more shy than anything else, and despite all the horrible things he appeared to have gone through in the past, the youth had an inner softness that Laguna felt an odd comradely with.

Setting two cups of coffee on the table, Laguna sat down just as he heard the youth coming down the stairs. As cloud entered the kitchen, Laguna's phone began ringing in his pocket and he gave the blond an apologetic smile as he pulled it out and answered.

"Hello, Laguna Loire speaking."

"Where are you?" Squall's voice asked bluntly.

"I'm in the kitchen with Cloud having coffee, and hello to you too, son," Laguna replied, sighing at Squalls lack of manners. Really, the boy was a Commander and still couldn't start a call with some kind of greeting?

"Cloud? I thought he went back to town?" Squall replied, sounding surprised.

Laguna looked up, noticing that Cloud seemed to be listening intently while trying to pretend he wasn't. "Yes, he's going to be staying with us and coming back to Esthar with me while he weighs up his options."

"Oh... well, that's... good I suppose," Squall replied, voice carrying an odd tone. Laguna frowned, confused by Squall's unusual reaction. He'd expected more of a negative reply.

"Is everything alright?"

"We have a situation," Squall began. "Vincent and Kiros are alright, so don't panic. They are both here with me but I need you to come now so we can sort this out. You need to bring clothes for Kiros too."

"Clothes for Kiros?" Laguna blurted, standing up from his chair. "What the hell is going on Squall?"

"I'll explain when you get here. We're in the forest behind the house, in that clearing with the waterfall that Kiros always likes to visit. Before you go though, can you put Cloud on the phone?"

"Squall what... okay, I'll put him on while I go get the clothes," Laguna muttered, a little annoyed but quiet aware that arguing with Squall was pointless and would only delay him finding out what was going on. Pulling the phone away from his ear, he held it out to Cloud, who raised an eyebrow in question. "Squall wants to talk to you. Something's happened with Kiros and Vincent."

***.***

Squall had the sudden urge to fidget as he waited for Cloud to speak, feeling a sudden wash of nerves that surprised him. He chastised himself silently, knowing that this was not the time for him to be distracted in any way.

"Cloud here. Is Vincent alright?" the blond asked, his voice sounding softer through the phone than it did in person.

"He isn't injured, but I think you should come with Laguna. We need to work out what to do and you are most familiar with Vincent's special... issues," Squall replied, turning to watch Kiros hovering over Valentine's body.

"What happened?" Cloud demanded, worry clear in his voice.

Squall had planned to inform Laguna in person, to make sure his father didn't over react, but Cloud being there changed everything. The blond would attack him on site if he saw Vincent's present condition, so Squall decided it would be wiser to explain while he had the chance.

"I came out looking for Kiros and found them talking," Squall began, frowning as he watched Kiros trembling as if he was going into shock. "Vincent had given Kiros his gun and was insisting he kill him."

"He... he was asking Kiros to kill him?"

"Yes. I heard him say that he had lost the ability to control Chaos and that this was his only option. I judged it better to interfere than to let the conversation proceed any further at that point." When Squall heard Laguna in the background asking what was happening, he quickly added, "Cloud, if you give me back to Laguna, I'll tell him while you both make your way here."

There was no reply from Cloud, but Squall heard the sounds of the phone being passed over and then Laguna's voice was there, concerned and pleading for an explanation.

"Dad, it's alright. Vincent is not hurt. I had Shiva put a sleep spell on him and to be safe, she's holding him in a coma like state right now," Squall insisted, hating the strain he heard in Laguna's voice.

"But what... why did you have to do that to be safe?" Laguna asked, the sounds of travel clear in the background.

"Vincent said he had lost the ability to control Chaos. He was begging Kiros to kill him. I decided it was safer to do that and call you in so we could work this out without the risk of Chaos appearing." Squall paused, eyes on Kiros as the other man reached out a hand towards Vincent and pulled it back, as if afraid of touching him. "There's something else too. I think Kiros may have been attacked in some way."

"What makes you say that?" Laguna asked, sounding breathless.

"He looks like he's going into shock and seems afraid of Vincent, but doesn't have any injuries. Dad, he really needs you right now," Squall added, feeling helpless. He wanted to reach out to Kiros but had no idea how to do so.

"We're on our way and will be there in a few minutes," Laguna replied, sounding far too strained for Squall's comfort.

"Alright, I'll see you shortly," Squall murmured, disconnecting the call.

He held the device in his hands for a moment, thinking of what their options would be. Whatever they decided to do, Squall figured that they would have to leave Winhill, considering the circumstances. Calling in the Ragnorak was a given, but he didn't trust the usual Esthar crew with keeping quiet in this instance. If they thought Laguna was in danger, they would do whatever they thought best to protect the President and that could lead to complications.

He did, however, have the authority as the SeeD commander to commandeer the Ragnorak for use in missions, and he had the perfect people in mind to bring it here.

Dialing in a number he knew by heart, Squall put the phone to his ear and waited for a response.

***.***


End file.
